My Godfather
by AnabelleBlack20
Summary: Pettigrew was captured in 1991 and Sirius was declared innocent and demands the custody of his beloved godson. However, Sirius discovers certain unexpected secrets about Harry and decides to set things right. Warning: Abuse by the Dursleys. A Sirius and Harry, Father and Son fanfic
1. Chapter 1: A New Home

SIRIUS BLACK CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES

 _Sirius Black, until recently thought to be a mass murderer and You know Who's right hand man was proclaimed innocent at last week's trial in the ministry. A public apology was made to Black by minister for magic, Cornelius Fudge himself. He was also given an obscenely huge amount of 10,000,000 galleons as compensation for his unfair imprisonment._

 _It was discovered, a few days ago that Peter Pettigrew, whom everyone thought to be dead was the one who had betrayed the Potters, that fateful night. He was their latest secret keeper and passed all the information to You Know Who. Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, confessed all of this under the influence of vertiaserum yesterday. He was immediately shipped off to Azkaban without further ado and will be sentenced to the dementor's kiss next week. Sirius Black, now a free man looks forward to rebuilding and continuing his life from where he left off._

 _For more information please turn to pg. 7._

That was the article that made the headlines of the daily prophet on 29th June 1991. Some people were skeptical about this piece of news while most were glad to have him back because everybody knew that Sirius Black was a terrific Auror while some were simply indifferent about it.

The main question: How does the man feel? The healers have fussed over him (especially females), tending to him with great care. After a week, the ex-Azkaban prisoner stepped out of St. Mungo's hospital feeling much better than we had in years. A good nights rest some much required treatment , a hot shower and a fresh set of robes, he was ready to go and collect his eleven year old godson who had just completed his first year at Hogwarts at platform 9 and 3/4.

Sirius Black was not the sort of person who would hold grudges. But he was very upset about the fact that his dear friend Remus Lupin had believed him to be the traitor. It had hurt very much indeed and even though Moony had sent a letter, apologising with utmost sincerity, he wasn't willing to bury the hatchet. He need some time before he could meet the man. However, right now he wasn't going to bother about all of that since he had other issues that needed immediate attention.

He was now the head of the Black family and it would be better if he went to the family mansion and asked the houselves to organise the place and make it suitable for living. With a slightly creased brow, he apparated to Black Manor and was pleasantly surprised when he realised that he could still do it. He walked up the pathway gat led to the opulent mansion and once he reached the heavy rosewood door, he placed his palm flat against it. There was a grating sound as the door which hadn't been used for so many years, slowly creaked open at its master's touch.

The door opened and he entered the mansion, feeling elated to be back to his house instead of the gloomy residence at number 12 Grimmauld Place. He was about to go and take a look at the condition of his room but he had hardly taken the first three steps of the staircase when- "Master Sirius Black has come home at last! Becky is feeling very happy." cried a squeaky voice and before he had time to respond, a thin pair of arms flung themselves around his knees and he looked down to see the house elf Becky, the one of the few house elves who had not called him disgraceful names. He reached out to pat the house elf's head but Becky suddenly drew back, looking horrified.

"Becky has been very bad. She touched a wizard without permission. Becky is going to punish herself. Becky deserves it." said the elf and ran to the kitchen and started banging her head against the platform. Sirius, who had only expected such a reaction, wasted absolutely no time in bringing the distraught little creature out of its self inflicted punishment. He gently grabbed the back of the elf's pillowcase and set her down on the ground. "Thank you sir." said the small voice of the house elf.

"Now listen here Becky, someone else is going to be moving in with me in a few days and I want you to make sure that the houses cleaned properly. Please do up my brother's room so that it may be fit for a young child. And no punishing yourself." He emphasised on the last bit and glanced at the house elf sternly to make sure that she didn't do anything rash or made a mad dash for the set of knives in the drawers. The elf nodded earnestly and vanished with a crack, probably to get the requisite cleaning equipment. Now that the house would be taken care of, he decided to focus on a certain conversation he needed to have with a certain headmaster.

He then walked to the fireplace, grabbed a fistful of floo powder that was kept in an untouched clay pot that stood on the mantelpiece. "Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore's office." he said crisply and felt the green flames engulf him with a whoosh.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was currently going through some papers when the floo in his office roared to life and out came none other than Sirius Black. "Good afternoon Albus. I apologise for barging unawares this way but since it was rather urgent, I had to come through."

Dumbledore was not a fool. He was completely aware of the reason Sirius had come to see him and thus was definitely not a conversation he was looking forward to. But, he still put on a smile and invited the younger man to have a seat. "No at all my boy, please sit. Now tell me, what can I do for you?"

"I want my godson's custody Albus." Straight to the point. "He is living with his aunt and uncle and I assure you he is perfectly safe there." answered the old man. _Aunt as in Lily's sister? Had Dumbledore completely lost it? Sending Harry to live with such a family?_ He had met that woman and her walrus of a husband for the first time at James's wedding and saying that he didn't like her would be a huge understatement.

"Well let me get something clear Albus, Harry will not be living with them for even a day more. As his godfather, I am his legal guardian and not some anti-magic muggles." said Sirius and for once Albus Dumbledore realised that this wasn't a discussion he would win.

"As you wish Sirius but remember, the boy needs love and care-" he was fit short by a curt reply: "And I am here for just that purpose." and with that, Sirius was gone through the fireplace and back to the Manor. As the ex- Azkaban prisoner went through the flames, Dumbledore realised that maybe it would be best to stay out of this matter since facing the wrath of Sirius Black was not something anybody looked forward to.

* * *

Sirius was practically fuming when he reached home and only slightly calmed down when he saw a that Becky had done up the whole place and the house was thoroughly furnished to satisfy every need of the resident. He stared at his watch and saw that he still had ten minutes left so he apparated to King Cross Station and waited for Harry to waiting, he met the Weasleys and who assured him that they completely trusted him and the fact that he was innocent.

As Sirius waited for his godson, he remembered his meeting with Harry a month ago:

 _Sirius sat in Dumbledore's office, drumming his fingers against the teakwood desk impatiently. He had been cleared only two days ago but the feeling of freedom was pure heaven. It was absolutely wonderful. He also had a lot of the aurors coming up to him and apologise for having thought him to be a death eater. After all, he had been one of the senior aurors in the department and had been and now thanks to his proven innocence, he still was respected by many._ _Dumbledore_ _had told him it would take a while before it was declared in the prophet. He had asked for a meeting with his godson and Dumbledore had complied immediately. So here he was, waiting in Dumbledore's office and waiting for Harry to walk through the door._

 _The door opened and Harry walked in, along with Dumbledore. "Harry, this is your godfather, Sirius Black. He wanted to meet you. I hope you both get along and in case you need anything, send a message." With that, Dumbledore was gone._

 _Sirius took a good look at Harry, saying nothing. Harry looked so much like James that it almost hurt. They boy had that same untameable black hair, the same sharp nose and small ears. His eyes belonged to Lily though. It felt like young James was looking at him through Lily's eyes._

 _Finally, Sirius decided to break the silence and gave Harry a smile. "Hello Harry." He said, getting up from his seat and offering his hand to his godson. Harry looked at his hand for almost a full minute before grasping Sirius's hand hesitantly. The look on Harry's face was one of fear, not the one Sirius had been hoping for. But, that would change soon. "Hello sir." Harry replied after what seemed like forever. "Sirius. My name is Sirius." The man corrected. The two of them sat down on a sofa, trying to get over the uncomfortable silence. Sirius noted with worry that Harry's posture was extremely stiff, like he was ready to bolt, just in case. "Harry, like Dumbledore said, I'm your godfather and your parents made me your legal guardian." Sirius began, deciding that it would be best if he didn't beat around the bush. Harry's eyes widened at this but he said nothing. "I was wondering... If you want to, only if you want to that is, maybe you could come and live with me." Sirius said, fidgeting with his wand. "Live with you?" Asked Harry, disbelief colouring his voice. "I would understand if you wanted to remain with your aunt and unc-"_

 _" You really want me to live with you?" Asked Harry, his voice cracking slightly. "More than anything, pup." Sirius replied, a smile playing on his lips. "Yes please." Harry replied timidly, giving Sirius a shy smile if his own._

That was how they met. Everything had gone smoothly other than Harry's extreme shyness and hesitancy but Sirius had been taken aback by Harry's enthusiasm to live with him. _Why would Harry rather live with a man he had just met instead of the people who had been with him all his life?_

He couldn't dwell on that any further as the scarlet engine pulled up at the station and one by one, the students rushed forward to meet their parents.

* * *

Eleven year old Harry Potter was feeling extremely nervous. His godfather had offered him a home and Harry had readily accepted his offer at that time. Even though he was still looking forward to it, he couldn't help but feeling of apprehension. His emotions were all messed up. There was anticipation, eagerness, joy and... fear. Fear of this man he didn't know, yet the realisation that he had been shown more kindness by his godfather in an hour than his aunt and uncle for ten years made a big difference. And most of all, there was the fear of rejection. Of being shunned away or worse, sent back to _them._

Sirius had seemed really nice when he had met him last week and for the first time, Harry had actually felt wanted. Now what if Sirius didn't want Harry around. After all, Harry caused a lot of trouble and was a freak just as his aunt and uncle had told him. He hadn't been able to make them happy no matter what he did and at the end of the day, it was he who got a brutal thrashing. He had already promised himself a million times that he would improve now. He would make sure that he didn't give Sirius a single opportunity to get angry with him.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the engine pulling over at the station. He took a deep breath and got off the train along with Ron and Hermione. The young witch immediately found her parents and bounded over to meet them, after saying goodbye to her two best friends. Ron also went to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Harry's eyes scanned the crowd for his godfather.

There he was, looking everywhere, searching for Harry. "Sirius!" He yelled but immediately clamped his mouth shut. He shouldn't have shouted like that. Now Sirius would probably think of him as an unmannered child. So much for trying to be good.

Sirius however simply beaked when he heard his name being called out and strode over to where Harry was standing and pulled the small boy into a tight hug.

Harry immediately tensed at the sudden contact. Never had he been hugged before. Sirius, noticed the tense stance in an instant and inwardly frowned. As he held Harry against his chest, he couldn't help but feel that Harry was way too small for his age.

Harry didn't know how to respond to the hug as all this was totally alien to him. He was still frozen, waiting for the inevitable beating that came but it never came. Sirius pulled away after about a minute and crouched down to Harry's eye level. "Hello pup." He said gently. "Hi." Said Harry smiling shyly and Sirius smiled back at him, warmly.

"Here, let me." Said Sirius taking the trunk from Harry's hands with one hand and wrapping an arm around the boy's slight shoulders with the other. Harry flinched slightly but didn't pull away. Sirius frowned at his godson's tense posture but didn't comment about it. They had the whole summer ahead of them and Sirius vowed to put it to good use.

"Now pup, I want you to hold onto my arm tightly ok?" He said softly so as to not startle Harry. The young boy looked a little frightened but he did as he was told. The two of them turned on the spot and apparated to Black Manor, Harry's new home.


	2. Chapter 2: Settling In and Nightmares

With a crack, Harry and Sirius appeared in front of Black Manor. Harry felt sick because of the apparation. He'd never done it before so it felt like he had been sucked into a narrow tube and then thrown out on the other side. "What was that?" He blurted out, momentarily forgetting that his uncle had painfully made it clear that he wasn't supposed to speak unless spoken to. "That kiddo, is known as apparating. You feel sick the first few times but you get used to it gradually." Explained Sirius. "Come along now," said the man, gently steering Harry inside the manor.

As Harry went inside with his godfather, he started feeling more and more comfortable about the arm around his shoulders and slowly but steadily, he relaxed completely. He looked around the place, a look of undisguised awe on his young face. It wasn't just a house, it was a mansion! The living room itself was thrice as large as his Aunt's entire house. It had a certain vintage charm to it with high backed sofas with intricate woodwork, carpets with wonderful designs and brilliant paintings adorned the walls. The place was pure beauty.

"-rry, Harry!" he realised that Sirius had been trying to call him whilst Harry had been drinking in every single detail. "Sorry, sir." He said, it wanting to get into trouble.

Sirius frowned at the unnecessary honorific but kept quiet about it. "Nothing to be sorry about pup. I just wanted to ask you if you'd like to eat your lunch first or see your room?"

Harry's eyes all but popped out of his head at the mention of his room. He of all people was getting a room? _Why would Sirius waste his time for a freak like him?_

"M-My r-room?" Came the incredulous question. "Yes pup, your room." He was then led upstairs. Sirius opened the door and Harry's jaw dropped. The room was simply brilliant with Gryffindor wallpapers, a comfy looking bed with scarlet covers and a closet for Harry to unpack and put away his stuff, a sturdy looking hardwood desk, along with a bean bag incase he wanted to relax and an attached bathroom. Compared to the rest of the house, his room was slightly more modern. "Do you like it? Do you want me to chan-" Sirius never got too finish his sentence as a mop of wild black hair crashed into his chest, nearly knocking him over. Surprised by the unexpected movement, Sirius swiftly regained his balance and kissed the top of the messy black head, hugging his godson back. "A-All this is f-for m-me?" The disbelief in his voice made Sirius want to frown but he put on a smile and nodded at the boy who barely came up to his chest. The man heard a muffled 'thank you' against his shirt. He tightened his hold on Harry before giving him an encouraging pat on the back and pulling away.

Harry pulled away, shocked that he had hugged his godfather on his own accord and was even more surprised when Sirius hadn't pushed him away. It had only been an hour and he'd already received two hugs. The feeling was unfamiliar but completely welcoming. It was only then that he realised that he was nearly craving basic physical contact that he had been deprived of for so long. Something as small as a hug was enough to make him smile. "Let's go have lunch now shall we?" Said Sirius and Harry eagerly nodded although the look of incredulity and disbelief never left his face as the two of them sat down, Sirius at the head and Harry to his right.

The eleven year old's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the amount of food on the table. He hadn't eaten anything much in the train and he sure was hungry. Harry only served himself small helpings of the food and waited for Sirius to start eating first. The last thing he wanted was to let his godfather think that he was ungrateful.

"Oi, that's barely enough for a five year old, Harry." Sirius pointed out and with that, he loaded Harry's plate with more than sufficient helpings of each item. "Eat up pup."

The quantity on the plate surprised Harry. This was more food than what Aunt Petunia gave him in a week. He realised that Sirius was waiting for him to start and did so at once.

Sirius noted with worry that Harry ate like he had been starved before and kept giving him sideward glances like he was expecting an order for him to stop eating or something. Becky had done a brilliant job on the lunch and for the first time, Harry had eaten till even the mere thought of food would make his stomach explode.

After lunch, Sirius asked Harry to go and unpack and call him in case he needed anything while he went to the living room and sank into a cozy armchair. He was thrilled to have his godson around and the child was simply adorable. But Sirius found certain things to be a bit disconcerting. For instance every time the man tried to initiate physical contact with his godson, the boy would flinch or tense like he was expecting a blow or something. Secondly, James had always been a little small for his age but even he hadn't been so thin. When Sirius had hugged Harry, he had barely felt any flesh underneath his clothes. Another thing that bothered him that Harry was way too polite and quiet for an eleven year old. He answered when asked a question and was very shy as well. But then maybe it was because he hardly knew Sirius. Well, the concerned godfather would definitely change that this summer.

* * *

As Harry unpacked, his mind was swimming with a thousand questions. What if he did something bad and Sirius didn't want him around anymore or what if Sirius found out about those horrible things his uncle had done to him? He would then realise that Harry was a pathetic weakling and a freak who couldn't even stand up to his muggle uncle. So far Harry had tried his best to be as good as possible and he didn't want to do anything to mess things up even the tiniest bit.

After he was done, he looked at his clock and saw that it was four o'clock and he still had a good three hours before supper was served. He didn't know what to do so he simply sat on his bed, fidgeting with the lose end of his shirt. About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Sirius walked in. "I see you're done with your unpacking." He said, nodding his approval as he plonked down next to Harry.

The man frowned a little at the overly large clothes but decided to deal with that later. "So what do you want to do now?" He asked his godson who was still fidgeting. Harry didn't want to be a burden but he did want to spend at least a little time with this man who had been so very kind to him because experience had made it clear to him that good things never last, well at least for him. "If it's not too much t-trouble—you don't have to i-if you d-don't want to—could we play exploding snap please?" Asked the boy, still refusing to meet Sirius' eyes. "Of course we can." Said Sirius and so godfather and godson made their way to the living room to spend their first evening of summer together.

Dinner was a jovial but strange affair. Harry had been thoroughly shocked when Sirius had led him to the table for dinner. It was like he hadn't expected dinner. At one moment, Harry was laughing along with his godfather and the very next moment, he would offer profuse apologies for being loud. After dinner, Sirius told Harry about the countless adventures he had at Hogwarts along with James. The clock struck ten and Harry yawned softly. "Time for bed pup." Said Sirius, noticing the tired eyes.

Harry nodded and headed upstairs, to his bedroom. Sirius came in, to find his godson in very baggy pyjamas and a baggy T-shirt. Well that wouldn't do. They'd have to fix that soon. Sirius held back the covers and gestured at the small boy to get in. Harry had never been tucked in before so he couldn't help the warm feeling inside him as he crawled in and Sirius brought the covers up to his chin. "I'll be right next door in case you need me. Is that alright puppy?" Enquired Sirius as he carded his long, elegant fingers through his godson's hair. Harry nodded although he had no intention of disturbing his godfather and being a bother.

"Goodnight pup." Said Sirius as he leaned down and kissed Harry's forehead. He then walked out of the room, leaving the door open by a crack just in case Harry needed something.

* * *

The next morning, Harry awoke at about six fifteen. Just the right time to begin with all of his chores and make sure that this day was punishment free. He knew what to do at his aunt and uncle's house and he also knew what happened when he did things wrong. He shuddered at the very thought of it. He didn't know what to expect from his godfather so it was all the more scary.

Time to start his chores. He decided to make breakfast first after which he would dust the furniture. He didn't know what Sirius liked and it would probably be better of he made a bit of everything. By the time he was done, he had made scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, muffins and juice. He was about to lay the table when he heard Sirius coming downstairs. He was late. Fear tore at his heart. He was done for.

"Harry what-" Sirius stopped short when he saw the look of terror on Harry's face. He noticed Harry's trembling hands and the plate of pancakes he were holding. "I'm s-sorry Sirius. I t-tried to do it on time. P-Please. I'm sorry." Sirius strode forward and took the plate of pancakes from Harry's hand. Harry flinched violently and the moment Sirius was in front of him, he all but trembled. "Harry, pup, come here please." He said, pulling his godson closer towards him.

Harry knew it was wrong but he couldn't control his fear anymore. The abject fear of what was going to happen now made him quiver violently. He wrenched himself out of Sirius's hold and bolted upstairs, to his room. He knew that his punishment was definitely going to worsen now but he hadn't been able to help himself.

Sirius stood frozen for a moment before he rushed upstairs after his godson, wondering what in the world had happened. The boy had been totally fine last night so why was he so terrified now? Something was going on here and Sirius was going to find out.

He reached the room only to find it empty. He was about to leave and look for Harry in the other rooms when he heard a whimper. It was muffled, almost inaudible but thanks to his Animagus skills, he heard it. It was coming from Harry's wardrobe. He opened it to find Harry sitting inside, on the bottom most shelf. The troubled boy had pulled his knees to his chest and his eyes shone with fear. Sirius reached for his godson but Harry only curled up further. "P-Please. I-I'm sorry."

Not knowing what to do, Sirius simple sat down in Harry's bed, waiting for the child to stop quivering. This was so not what he had expected. He sat there patiently for nearly fifteen minutes until he saw that Harry's shivers had stopped. He then went and crouched down in front of Harry. "Pup, come out please. Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you." He held out his hand for Harry to take and Harry flinched once more.

Sirius pulled Harry out of the wardrobe, against his chest and Harry stiffened totally. A hug was certainly not what he had been expecting. A thrashing definitely, or just a slap or two if he was lucky but certainly not a hug. He felt a kiss being pressed to his forehead and it shocked him even more. Sirius was really strange. Here he had not completed breakfast and now Sirius was being so nice to him.

The man stood up, pulling Harry with him. He didn't say anything and just led Harry downstairs. They sat down at the dining table and Sirius ordered Becky to lay the table. The Animagus took a bite of his sausage and his eyes widened. "Sweet Merlin! This is absolutely delicious."

Harry's eyes widened. No one had ever said anything remotely nice about his cooking previously. "Thank you." He mumbled rather shyly.

Once they were halfway through their breakfast, Sirius forced the words out in a calm voice although he felt anything but that. "Puppy, why did you run?" Harry's frightened behaviour worried him to no end. There was a moment of silence where neither of them said anything. When Sirius was about to ask again Harry spoke. "I was scared." He whispered, staring down at his plate. "Of what?" Sirius asked, placing a finger under Harry's chin, he coaxed his godson to look up. When Harry didn't say anything Sirius decided that it would be better if the boy got to know him better before confiding in his godfather. "It's ok pup. Never mind." He said. "Eat your breakfast now."

As they ate, Sirius couldn't help but worry about Harry. He looked at his godson who was taking timid bites of his breakfast. Harry's hand shook, due to fright as he ate. _What_ _was_ _going on?_

* * *

Sirius was awoken in the middle of the night by a terrible scream from his godson's room and the panic that came over him was massive. He threw his covers aside, grabbed his wand and bolted to Harry's room. There he was. Alone. The panic was replaced by worry as Sirius saw his pup thrashing in his bed. "Harry, puppy wake up it's just a bad dream. Wake up pup. C'mon." Slowly the thrashing stopped and Harry opened his eyes.

Harry opened his eyes to see warm grey eyes gazing at him with a slightly furrowed brow. He completely missed the concern in his godfather's eyes. The memories then came back to him. He had been dreaming that his uncle was punishing him and must've screamed loudly, causing Sirius to wake up. Oh no. He had tried so very hard to not bother his godfather and yet on the second night itself he had disturbed Sirius's sleep. Unwelcome tears welled up in his eyes and slowly but steadily started to flow. "I'm s-sorry S-Sirius." He stuttered, in between his tears.

Sirius was shocked on hearing his godson apologise. "You don't need to apologise for anything puppy. It was just a bad dream. There's no way it is your fault." He said and reached out, gathered the small boy in his arms and cradled him to his chest, not caring that Harry was probably far too old for such treatment. He ignored Harry's taut posture and stroked the boy's head, murmuring reassurances. Too tired to do anything, Harry finally gave in and buried his face in the crook of Sirius' neck. He gradually relaxed, stopped crying and drifted into sleep.

Now to say that Sirius was worried would be a huge understatement. Harry's frightened behaviour of late was getting him all worked up. Earlier, when Harry had seemed quiet and extremely polite, Sirius had dismissed it as shyness but now he was sure that there was more to it.

The man tucked the boy in and settled down in a chair near Harry's bed. There was no way in hell that he was going to leave his godson alone that night and so even he fell asleep after a long while.

The next morning Harry awoke to find himself neatly covered with the blanket and his curtains drawn. A while ago, he remembered his godfather leaving the room after brushing his hair. He glanced at the clock and his eyes widened to see that it was already nine o'clock. He had overslept. Harry ran to the bathroom to take a shower faster than you could say 'magic' and practically flew downstairs once he was done.

Sirius heard is godson come barrelling down the stairs and went to greet his pup. Harry stopped short when he saw his godfather walking towards him and he started to step away from him. He forgot that this was the man who had consoled him last night.

"I'm s-sorry sir. I didn't mean to oversleep. P-please d-don't hit me sir. I-I'm sorry." Stuttered the boy. Sirius' heart broke on hearing the fear in Harry's voice and now he understood the whole situation completely. His godson had been abused by those filthy muggles. Sirius wanted to do nothing more than go to Privet Drive, No. 4 and beat the stuffing out of the Dursleys.

"Hush pup. You have nothing to be sorry for." Wide emerald eyes looked back at him incredulously. "B-but I d-didn't cook breakfast." Replied Harry. "Pup, you made breakfast yesterday and it was wonderful but you don't have to do it everyday . Now come eat your breakfast puppy." Said Sirius. "No chores?" Came the disbelieving question. "Definitely not. I don't want you doing any chores. That's not needed. Come now." Said Sirius as he wrapped an arm around the small frame and led him to the table. Harry was still very stiff like he was expecting Sirius to slap him or something but the man didn't mention it.

They had the whole summer left and Sirius would make things better for the two of them. And that was a marauder's promise.


	3. Chapter 3: Comfort

"So pup, are you ready to leave?" Asked Sirius. Harry nodded, albeit shyly. Sirius had wanted to take his godson clothes shopping. But that was a surprise so he just told Harry that he had some important work in Diagon Alley. Harry took hold of Sirius' arm lightly, not wanting to upset the man. On Sirius' encouraging nod, he held on tightly and the two of them disappeared with a CRACK.

They reappeared, not in Diagon alley though. Harry looked up at his godfather with a quizzical expression but Sirius just smiled down at him, affectionately. "Where are we Sirius?" Asked Harry, ready to move away in case he was going to be beaten for asking. "We, oh dear godson of mine are in muggle London. I need to get you some proper clothes. You won't be wearing those rags anymore."

Harry's eyes widened. He was going to get knew clothes. As of now, Sirius seemed like the best person on this planet according to Harry. He had taken him in, promised him a home, allowed him to cry and had held and soothed him instead of punishing him. And now, he was going to get new clothes. He just didn't know how to repay the man. "Thank you thank you thank you!" He gushed, throwing his arms around Sirius' waist and burying his face into his godfather's broad chest. He pulled away after a bit and grinned sheepishly at Sirius.

Shopping had never been better. Sirius took Harry to every store in sight and made him try on almost everything on the shelves. The boy was too shy to ask for anything by himself so for now, Sirius was perfectly alright with choosing things for his pup as Harry nodded his approval hesitantly. When they were finally done, Sirius had made sure that Harry had a whole knew wardrobe collection including casuals, formals, nightwear and underwear. Lunch was also quite fun. Harry started to open up, bit by bit and soon the duo was laughing away.

* * *

"Today was brilliant. Thank you so much Sirius." Said Harry, thanking his godfather profusely for the umpteenth time. "You're welcome puppy. Now, I think there are new clothes that require unpacking so why don't you hop to it?" Said Sirius. Harry's face fell a little but nonetheless he still went towards the staircase. Sirius noted Harry's expression. "What's the matter pup?" He asked gently. "Well... I was hoping we could ... play a game of chess together if you ...uh don't mind."

Sirius' heart soared at this. His godson was already warming up to him and though Sirius wanted to play very much, he didn't want Harry procrastinating. "How about we both put away your clothes together? And then we can play? Hmm?" Harry nodded eagerly and headed upstairs while Sirius followed him.

As they put away clothes, Sirius plonked down on Harry's bed and patted the space next to him. "Come sit beside me pup. I need to talk to you."

Harry froze. It all started with a _talk_. "Relax pup. I promise you that you're not in trouble." Reassured Sirius. At this Harry walked towards the space Sirius had patted and sat down. The older wizard wrapped an arm around his godson's shoulders and drew him closer. Harry stiffened, the tensed demeanour that had disappeared during their little outing was back again.

"Harry, are you happy over here, living with me in Black Manor?" he asked, rubbing Harry's arm reassuringly. "Yes Sirius. I'm really very happy here. Thank you." answered Harry, sincerity lacing his words. Sirius couldn't feel any happier. Despite everything the boy had gone through, his godson seemed like the best child on the planet. "I'm glad to hear that."

* * *

That night, even dinner was an enjoyable event. Sirius sent Harry upstairs at ten o'clock since that was the idea bed time for an eleven year old according to Sirius.

As Sirius was just reading through a book, he heard a muffled crash from his godson's room and rushed up the stairs, his heart beating at a crazy pace. He threw open the door and saw a glass vase that stood near Harry's study desk had somehow fallen down and shattered itself. That wasn't what worried him though. At the farthest end of the room, Harry was curled up in a small ball, hands covering his head and sniffles coming from his small form.

In three long strides, Sirius crossed the room and pulled the sobbing boy into his arms. It was then that he noticed them. Since his godson hadn't buttoned his night shirt up yet, Sirius very clearly saw the white faded scars on his stomach and shoulder. Those pathetic muggles! How could they!

"Sshh puppy. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. Please stop crying pup." Sirius said, as he softly stroked the boy's hair. Harry didn't look like he was going to stop crying anytime soon so Sirius lifted Harry off the ground, gasping at how light the boy was and sat himself on Harry's bed, with his godson on his lap. Harry's rigid body seemed inconsolable. He kept begging for forgiveness and mercy.

Unsure of what to do, Sirius simply held the boy close as Harry cried himself out. Once the boy had calmed down, he apologised once more. "You have nothing to apologise for. Like I said, I'll never hurt you puppy."

Harry for one, simply couldn't understand what was going on. He had broken something, cried and blubbered like a baby, getting his godfather's shirt all wet but Sirius hadn't even raised his voice at him, let alone his hand. He remembered the last time he had woken up from a nightmare. He had been about seven years old at that time and what had followed his nightmare had been even worse than the dream itself. That night Uncle Vernon had whipped him with that belt until Harry had become numb.

"Harry, I'm going to ask you a question and can you promise me an honest answer?"

Trust him. Said the little voice in Harry's head and listen to it he did. Despite all that he had been through, Sirius felt different. He wasn't aggressive and rough like his Uncle nor was his godfather nosy, like his Aunt. He gave Sirius a jerky nod. "Did your aunt and uncle ever hit you?" Even though Sirius was asking, there was something in his voice that let Harry know that he knew.

He knew. He knew. That was the only thought that ran through Harry's mind as Harry sat on his godfather's lap. He knew that Harry was a freak, a weakling and an ungrateful brat who was a disgrace to the hardworking family he had lived with. "Please don't send me back Sirius. I promise I won't be a freak from now on. I'll be good, I promise. I'll accept whatever punishment you want to give me but please let me stay. I promise to do all the chores, I'll go back to sleeping in a cupboard and you won't even know that I'm here." The desperation with which Harry was pleading tore Sirius's heart. Harry looked so fragile and young, more like an eight year old as he sat there, ardently begging for mercy.

"Harry James Potter, you are most certainly not a freak. I never want to hear you talk like that again and I promise that I will never ever send you back puppy. You don't have to do any chores and you most certainly will never have to sleep in a cupboard again. I love you very much pup. You are completely safe here. I promise." Said Sirius, fiercely hugging Harry as he tried to quell his anger at those wretched Dursleys. Harry couldn't believe it. He was loved and wanted! It was all that he had always wanted and now he had it. "Thank you." Was all that he could manage, his voice, thick with emotion as he felt himself being hugged tighter. Was it all really true? With the love that was surrounding him, Harry couldn't ask for anything more.

"How about some sleep now pup?" He asked Harry. His godson nodded sleepily as he yawned. Sirius tucked Harry in securely and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight puppy, love you." And with that the man extinguished the lights and walked out of his pup's room.

As Harry lay on his bed, for the first time in forever, he felt truly happy. Sirius loved him and he didn't have to go back. The insecurity was still there but that would also dissipate eventually. With only happy thoughts going on in his mind, the young wizard fell asleep, with a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4: Reassurence and Rule Breaking

As Sirius was sitting and reading the letters he had received from the Gringotts regarding his account, Harry came downstairs, warily. Sirius sighed internally. It was evident that last night's reassurance had not smoothed out his godson's worries. With an encouraging smile on his face, Sirius led Harry to the breakfast table, aware that Harry was still too afraid to do anything on his own.

"Did you sleep well pup?" He asked, still smiling and Harry nodded timidly. He made sure that Harry had enough on his plate and only then did he sit down and start his own breakfast. As he was eating his beacon, another thought crossed his mind: What if those marks he saw on Harry's torso last night were only a fragment of what his pup had gone through? That thought was enough for him to lose his appetite.

"Pup", he began once both of them were done eating, "let's go up to your room. I need to talk to you. I promise you that you're not in trouble." He added the last sentence on seeing Harry's fearful expression. The two of them headed upstairs, Harry was trembling slightly.

"Ok now, I need you to take your shirt off." Harry blanched at this sentence, fear prominent on his small face. "I'm s-sorry-"

Sirius cut off all attempts to apologise by pulling Harry into his arms. His godson's form was extremely stiff and his eyes were refusing to meet his godfather's. "Harry James, do not apologise. You have nothing to be sorry for. I promised you that I'd never hurt you and I still stand by what I said." He rubbed the trembling boy's back until he felt Harry relax. "Pup, I need to see what your aunt and uncle did to you so that I may help. Do you trust me?" Sirius asked, carding his fingers through Harry's hair. Harry nodded slowly after what seemed like forever and Sirius couldn't help but smile widely. Harry trusted him!

"Alright then. Arms up." He instructed and Harry obeyed, fear not leaving his face. Sirius gently grabbed the hem of Harry's shirt and tugged it over the boy's head. The concerned godfather stifled a gasp when he saw the condition of Harry's upper half. They were covered with faded scars, some welts that looked like they'd never heal, and so many buckle marks. He took hold of Harry's waist and slowly turned him around and was horrified to see that even his back was in the same condition. His look of horror morphed into one of disgust when he thought about the pathetic muggles who had done this to his beloved godson.

Harry saw the look of disgust on his godfather's face and mistook it as disgust towards himself. This was it. The moment Sirius would come to know about his weakness and inability to stand up to his muggle uncle. He would be thrown out now. But that thought wasn't given further impetus as Sirius pulled Harry into a fierce hug. "I'm so sorry pup. I'm so sorry."

Harry was shocked on hearing his godfather apologise. He had expected Sirius to turn him away and yet here he was, hugging Harry tightly. "W-why are y-you s-sorry?" He asked incredulously. He felt Sirius's arms tighten around him and didn't push the matter any further. Instead, he just relaxed against the arms that were holding him.

"What they did to you was wrong. I need you to believe me when I tell you that I'll never send you back. You need to believe me when I say that I'll never hurt you. Please trust me pup."

 **Two weeks later**

Over the next two weeks, Harry came out of his shell miraculously quick. He was still nowhere close to becoming a mischief maker like his father but he talked a lot more now and even complained about things like his bedtime. He had completely stopped flinching whenever Sirius embraced him, instead he leant into the comforting touch.

Life at Black Manor was much more relaxed now, since Harry was no longer that boy who was terrified of his godfather. He was much more comfortable around Sirius despite the tiny bit of shyness that remained. The aforementioned boy was currently sleeping in his room or rather trying to not wake up.

"Harry, it's time to wake up pup. You've had your share of 'five more minutes' and it's time to wake up now, for real." Said Sirius firmly as he pulled the covers off his boy. Harry groaned but made no move to get up. Instead he turned away from Sirius and snuggled against his pillow. Sirius smirked at his godson's reluctance to wake up. Only two weeks ago, Harry had been very frightened of him. Now, this was how he was. Sirius couldn't be any happier. But, at the moment, he need to get Harry out of bed so with deft fingers, he attacked Harry's sides and started tickling him mercilessly.

"Aw stop! Pleeease! I'll get up. I promise." Pleaded Harry as he rolled over and try to dodge the fingers, in vain. "What was that young man?" Asked Sirius, the mirth evident in his voice as he tickled his pup. Harry realised that Sirius wasn't going to stop until he got out of bed so with a half hearted huff, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking younger than ever.

Sirius gently pushed Harry's hair out of his eyes and grinned at him. "Get dressed and come downstairs for breakfast pup. I have planned something for today." That got Harry excited. "What is it? What have you planned? Pleease tell me Sirius!" Came the whiny plea.

"Not a chance Harry. Get ready and I'll tell you all that you want to know." Said Sirius, ruffling Harry's hair and walking out of the room. Harry knew that his godfather wasn't going to tell him anything so he pushed himself up and threw his legs over the side of the bed to get up.

"Please tell me now." Harry pleaded as he wolfed down his scrambled eggs. "Oh alright you little menace." Said Sirius. Harry waited for his godfather to begin. "I need to go to the ministry today regarding some matters that need to be looked into and I'll be back by seven o'clock so I was wondering if you would want to call a friend over for a while or something." He said.

Harry nearly fell off his chair at this. Over the past two weeks, Sirius had proved to be absolutely brilliant. Harry had starting trusting him more and more with each passing day and he even looked up to him now. But he hadn't actually expected Sirius to let him have his friends over. Dudley would always call his friends over and aunt Petunia had made lots stuff for his friends while he had remained in his cupboard. The thought that even he was allowed to call his friends over filled him with a joy that was large enough to make him cry.

"I've never been allowed to have anyone over. Thank you so much Sirius." He said sincerely as he went to his godfather and hugged him around his middle. "You're more than welcome pup." Said Sirius, suppressing the anger that rose inside him at the Dursleys.

"However, there is one major rule you have to follow and I expect you to strictly stick to it while I'm gone. Is that understood young man?" Said Sirius, sternly. "Yes sir." Replied Harry, giving Sirius his full attention. "No leaving the house. As you know, after Pettigrew was caught, security has increased so I expect you to stay at home." That was a rather constricting rule as he had been hoping to fly around the grounds but he nodded nonetheless.

After that, the two of them are their lunch. Just as Sirius was getting ready to leave, the floo roared to life and out came Ronald Weasley. "Good afternoon Ron." Said Sirius, smiling pleasantly at the redhead. "Good afternoon Mr. Black thank you for letting me come over." Said Ron, remembering his mother's warning to be polite while speaking to adults. "Just Sirius please, Ron. Anyway, I hope you both have a good time and I'll see you in the evening Harry. Be good and have fun." Said Sirius, giving Harry a hug and was gone with a crack.

The two best mates decided to engage themselves by playing a few games of wizard's chess. After that Becky brought them stuff to eat. As the two boys ate, Harry couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.

The two weeks of this summer had so far been the best days of his life. Living with Sirius had been absolutely brilliant. He had also discovered certain things about Sirius. He absolutely hated lying, cheating or stealing of any sort. His godfather also had a rather fiery temper ( he found out about that when a reporter named Rita Skeeter had written something about him being Voldemort's close follower in the prophet. Sirius had marched straight to the ministry and had given the witch a piece of his mind). The next thing he had found our was that Sirius was very, very, very rich. The Blacks had been and are one of the most powerful wizarding families to ever roam the planet.

After thinking and eating, they played exploding snap for a while after which Ron had to go home. He said goodbye and left, using the floo. For a little bit, Harry went through the quidditch comics Sirius had bought for him but even that didn't hold his attention for more than fifteen minutes.

He looked at the clock which showed six fifteen. This meant that he still had forty five minutes left before Sirius came home. Maybe, just maybe if he took a quick spin on his broom and came back before Sirius was home. Once the idea had gotten into his head, it was difficult to dismiss it. So, ignoring the tiny but if guilt that he felt for disobeying Sirius, he grabbed his broom which was upstairs in his room and he went out of the house.

As Harry flew around the grounds, a joyful scream made its way out of his mouth. He lost track of time and flew higher than normal and that's when he saw it. It was robed, a hooded figure that glided towards him. All of a sudden, Harry felt cold and empty. Every single one of his uncle's beatings came back to him. He had finally started to move on but this had to happen. The next thing he knew was that he was falling. In his half conscious state, he caught a glimpse of a silvery dog that ran straight to the hooded monster.

Just as Harry was sure that he was going to fall hard, he hit the ground, it did t hurt a bit, just startled him s lot. The last thing he saw before he fully slipped into unconsciousness were the furious yet concerned eyes of his godfather.

Sirius was absolutely furious with his godson. He had apparated back home at about a quarter to seven and had found his godson missing. Harry wasn't there in any part of the house. He had searched every nook and corner of the house, his anxiety only multiplying by the second. On a split second thought, he had rushed outside, only to find Harry falling from his broom. He sent a Patronus zooming towards the dementor and then cast a cushioning charm to soften Harry's fall.

As he carried Harry's unconscious form back to the manor, he was trying to understand why had Harry so blatantly disobeyed that one single rule that had been given to him. He wasn't the sort who would deliberately do something g wrong. But then again, he was James' son. He was bound to do something so rash and foolish. He mentally cursed himself in all the twelve languages that he knew for not having given Harry a firm set of rules earlier.

He set Harry down in his bedroom and settled down in a chair, waiting for him to regain consciousness. Once Harry woke up, the two of them would be having a long and very detailed talk.


	5. Chapter 5: Punishment and Rules

As Harry's eyes flickered open, he saw Sirius asleep on the chair by his bed. That was when it all came back to him. The flying, the hooded creature, his godfather's angry visage hovering over him and then the darkness. Why oh why had he decided to go flying! Sirius had given him one rule and he just had to go ahead and break it didn't he? Now Sirius was definitely going to beat him. He deserved it didn't he? Why did he always ruin everything? As these thoughts filled his mind, a sniffle escaped from his throat.

Sirius, who hadn't been sleeping all that soundly, awoke instantly. He saw his godson looking down at the covers as he silently cried. There was nothing more Sirius wanted to do than pull the boy into his lap and soothe him as though nothing had happened. But this wasn't the time to go soft. He had to be tough now.

He cleared his throat to let Harry know that he was awake. Green eyes snapped up to look at him fearfully. "How are you feeling Harry?" Asked Sirius, genuine concern in his voice. "M-m f-fine." Stuttered Harry. Sirius hated seeing the fear in Harry's eyes and hated it even more because he knew that it was there because of him. "Why are you afraid Harry?" He asked gently. "Y-you hate me n-now. You gave me a rule a-and I b-broke it. I'm s-sorry Sirius. I really am. P-please don't hurt me. I-I know that you h-hate me know but p-please don't h-hit me."

Damn those muggles. Harry still thought that he was going to be beaten. He got up from his bed and wrapped an arm around the shaking shoulders, feeling the tense posture for the first time in two weeks. "I want you to understand something very clearly. I. Will. Never. Hit. You." Sirius said, his words firm but voice incredibly gentle.

Harry was silent for almost a whole minute but then he nodded. When Sirius saw that the fear was gone, he knew that it was time to get the hard part. "Harry," he began, his voice stern, as well as his expression. Harry looked up at his godfather, bracing himself.

"What you did today was extremely dangerous. Did I or did I not give you explicit instructions to not go outside the house?"

Harry looked down and his expression became contrite. "You did." He whispered, not able to look at Sirius. "And what did you do Harry James?" Came the stern question. "I went f-flying even when I wasn't supposed to." Replied Harry, as he played with the blanket, feeling very stupid indeed. "That's right. You disobeyed me. You could have been seriously injured today all thanks to your utter stupidity and foolishness." Sirius saw his godson's lip wobble and he felt terrible and guilty for making the child cry but then he remembered the way Harry had been hurtling down from his broom and the guilt evaporated. He took a deep breath and said what he had to. "I'm disappointed in you Harry."

That particular sentence hurt more than all of his uncle's beatings combined. It would have probably hurt lesser if Sirius would have slapped him instead. "I'm sorry Sirius." He whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Why did you go against the instructions given to you?" Harry didn't know how to answer that question. He had been feeling bored so he had decided to take a quick spin on his broom, not considering what would happen if things went wrong. "I wasn't thinking." He said. "That is obvious. Do you have any idea how worried I was when I saw you hurtling down from your broom?" Asked Sirius. "I'm sorry." He whispered once more, this time he met his godfather's eyes. He saw the worry in them and immediately felt guilty. The last thing he had wanted to do was anger, disappoint or hurt Sirius but he had managed to do all three of them on the same day.

"Your broom is going to remain on the ground until I say otherwise and I also want three feet on why it is wrong to disobey when something is told to you. Are we clear?" Sirius asked sternly, as he doled out Harry's very first punishment. "Yes sir." Said Harry, looking very upset with himself. He knew he deserved it and he also knew that he was getting off lightly. An essay and suspension of broom privileges could hardly be considered severe.

Sirius saw the forlorn look on Harry's face and knew that the point had been driven into his godson's brain and so there was no need to press the matter any more as of now. "Let's go have dinner now pup. We'll talk more about this afterwards." He said, giving Harry a reassuring smile and a pat on his hip to prove that he wasn't angry anymore. Harry also managed a small smile. The gentle tone and the nickname assured him that Sirius wasn't angry now.

The two of them ate their dinner after which there was still an hour left for Harry's bedtime. "Pup, we need to talk about certain rules you'll have to follow so that we both are aware of the rules and what happens if you break them." Said Sirius. Harry nodded, nervous about the conversation that would take place between them now.

"First of all, no lying. I expect complete honesty from you when I ask you a question. Can we work with that?" Sirius asked Harry. That was going to be a bit hard for the boy but he didn't want to lie to his godfather so he nodded.

"Next up, I want you in bed by ten o'clock every night. Is that understood?" Now that was something Harry didn't agree with. "But it's the summer vacation and I want to stay up late. Pleeease Sirius and besides, I'm almost twelve." He protested. Sirius raised an eyebrow at his godson's protests and smirked. "Twelve? I think two years old would be a better age to describe your current behaviour. Ten o'clock and that's final young man." Harry knew that Sirius wasn't going to budge so he was pretty sure that he would _have_ to go to bed by ten. "Ok." he said, knowing that there was no other way.

"Also, no swearing. If I catch you swearing, you may expect a _scourgify_ spell coming your way. Same punishment goes for lying." Harry's eyes widened at this. "Ok." Was all he could manage as half his mind was still thinking of that disgusting taste of soap in his mouth. He made a mental note to never swear or lie.

"And above all, I will not have you endangering yourself no matter what the circumstances may be. I will not tolerate any dangerous tasks henceforth. The boy-who-lived is nothing but a moniker that has been given to you for publicity. You are only a child Harry. I care too much about you to let you go around risking your life with such carelessness. Do we understand each other?"

The chiding tone in his godfather's voice made Harry feel extremely ashamed of himself. He had never had an adult who care for him before Sirius so all this was really new to him. But nonetheless, upsetting Sirius was not something he wanted to repeat ever again. "Yes sir." He said.

"As for punishments, they'll be doled out according to the offence but I want you to know that I'll never use physical force as a punishment." Sirius said and Harry nodded, looking genuinely relieved.

"Lastly, how did you do in your exams?" Harry looked surprised by this unexpected question. "Um.. I did-"

"Why don't you just show me your report card?" Sirius interrupted and so Harry went upstairs to get the required document.

As he took the report card down to his godfather, he wondered whether the nervousness was normal. He only hoped that his marks met Sirius's expectations. He did not want to disappoint his godfather...again.

"Here you go." Said Harry, Giving Sirius his card. As Sirius' eyes skimmed the parchment, Harry couldn't help but fidget. Sirius wasn't saying anything. He only concentrated on the parchment but the silence was driving Harry crazy.

"I see you've done quite well in defence and charms but I feel you can do much better in the remaining subjects. What went wrong in those subjects pup?" He asked as he patted the spot next to him, inviting Harry to sit down. Harry obeyed the wordless gesture.

At Harry's lack of response, Sirius continued. "I want better results henceforth and you shall work harder. But, at the same time I want you to have fun and enjoy yourself. Can we work with that?" Harry nodded at this. Sirius tapped his cheek and said: "A verbal answer please."

"Yes." Sirius smiled at Harry and pulled him into an embrace which was immediately returned. "I don't expect you to be perfect Harry. I want you to be yourself, enjoy yourself and be happy and that's that." Harry realised that these were precisely the words that he had always wanted to hear from someone who loved him. "Thank you Sirius."

The two of them simply sat there in a comfortable silence when the clock struck ten. "Well, I think it's time for this pup here to go to bed." Said Sirius giving Harry's side a slight poke. "5 more minutes, pleeease?" Asked Harry with a hopeful look.

Sirius pretended to think and then with a mischievous grin he picked Harry up, over his shoulders and carried him upstairs.

"Goodnight puppy mine. Sleep tight and the first thing you do tomorrow is start off with that essay. Alright?" Harry nodded, cheeks reddening at the reminder of his silliness. "Goodnight Sirius" he snuggled further underneath the covers and closed his eyes.

"Night pup.I love you." Said Sirius once more, swiftly kissing his godson's forehead.

After Harry was asleep he heard the floo roar to life. He frowned at this because he didn't remember inviting anyone at this time of the night. He took out his wand and went to see who the intruder was.


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion

Sirius rushed into the living room and his gaze hardened. "Lupin. What are you doing here?" He spat, as he glared at the man, visage softening only slightly as he took in the tired and pale face of Remus Lupin.

"I-I came to apologise Sirius. I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry for suspecting you, sorry for accusing you, sorry for not believing you and I'm just really sorry Sirius. Please you have to believe me." Pleaded Remus.

Sirius stared at Remus long and hard before the hard demeanour evaporated. It had been hard to send a letter, telling his former friend to sod off but when Remus was right in front of him, apologising so sincerely he found it impossible to remain angry at him. "I believe you." Those three words were enough to make Remus smile broadly, making him look nearly ten years younger.

Sirius strode forward and pulled his friend into a brotherly embrace which was almost immediately returned. "It's good to have you back Padfoot." Said Remus, the grin never leaving his face. The two Marauders stayed up late that night, talking and laughing about all the trouble they had caused at Hogwarts. Remus however insisted that he had been dragged into their plans by James and Sirius. That night, on Sirius's insistence, Remus crashed in one of the bedrooms in Black Manor.

The next morning Harry awoke to the sound of voices coming from the living room downstairs. He quickly got dressed and went down, curious to find out who else was there with Sirius.

"Good morning Harry." He heard his godfather's cheerful voice as he took his usual seat at the table. It was then that he saw Sirius coming out of the kitchen with another man in tow. He had seen this man in many of the pictures that Sirius had shown him. He looked tired but his amber eyes were sparkling. His robes and shoes looked worn as well. "Ah hello there Harry. I'm Remus Lupin. I was one of your father's best friends."

"Hello sir." Said Harry, feeling shy all of a sudden. Sirius caught that look on his face and shook his head fondly. He came over and ruffled Harry's hair. "Eat." Ordered Sirius as Becky placed a plate loaded with toast, beacon and scrambled eggs in front of him. Harry didn't need to be told twice and dug in instantly. As Remus spoke to him and got to know Harry, even the shy eleven year old started liking the friendly man. "So tell me, how do you like your new home Harry?"

"It's brilliant. I absolutely love it here. Like the other day..." Harry them proceeded to tell Remus about the day Sirius had taken him shopping and Sirius couldn't help but smile so wide that his face ached.

After breakfast, and a bit more of talking, Remus went back to his own home, leaving Harry and Sirius alone. "Well, how did you like Remus?" Asked Sirius, sitting down next to Harry in the living room. "He's nice." replied Harry. "Now I suggest that you get started with that essay assigned to you." Said Sirius and Harry reluctantly went to fetch his quill and parchment.

Once Harry had settled down to work on his punishment, Sirius decided to pen a letter to Rufus Scrimgeour, regarding the invitation he had received on his visit to the ministry. He had been invited to rejoin the Auror department. Sirius decided to keep it as an option as of now. He had absolutely loved his job as an Auror and wanted to return so maybe he would do that once Harry was back at Hogwarts.

About two hours later, when Sirius was sitting in his favourite armchair, Harry came up to him with a rolled up parchment in his hand. "I'm sorry." He said for the millionth time as he handed his punishment to Sirius and started to go back to his room. The older wizard sighed. "Come here pup." He said, holding his arms out and Harry complied.

Once Harry was within arms reach, he pulled his godson into his arms, stroking the black head soothingly. The hug was eagerly returned and neither said anything for a while. Once he had pulled back, he looked right into Harry's eyes. "Listen to me carefully. What you did yesterday was wrong. You could have been seriously injured and not to mention, you scared the devil out of me. But, at the same time, you apologised and were punished as well. Now, all of that is over and we move on. Alright? You have got to stop thinking over it. Everything has been forgiven pup. Just remember, you'll always be forgiven and loved. Don't forget that I am always there for you. If you ever want to talk about something, a hug or anything for that matter, you come right to me. Ok?"

Throughout Sirius's reassuring speech, Harry hadn't said a word. But now, as he looked at Sirius with a bashful expression, a smile spreading across his face and Sirius knew that everything was going to be just fine. With one last hug, Harry sat down next to Sirius.

"Now, how about some lunch? I suppose an essay does make you hungry." Said Sirius, ruffling Harry's hair. The two of them ate lunch and in no time at all, Harry was back to his normal cheery self, laughing at all the pranks Sirius told him about.

After lunch, as Harry was idly lying on his bed, hanging off the edge when Sirius came into his room. As Sirius closed the door behind him, he couldn't help but chuckle at Harry's posture

Smiling mischievously, he reached forward and poked Harry's bare skin with his index fingers. Harry immediately burst out laughing and wrapped his arms around his sides protectively. "Get up pup. You can go to sleep at ten. If you feel you're getting less sleep, nine o' clock is alright with me." At the last sentence, Harry bolted up. Sirius laughed at the effect that one sentence had on his godson.

"Come on." Said Sirius, taking Harry's small hands in his own larger ones and pulling him off the bed. "I need to go to Hogwarts today and you are coming with me." He said. "But I don't want to come!" Harry whined, not at all liking the prospect of going back to school just when the summer had begun, even if it was for only a short while. "Why can't I stay home? Pleeease Sirius!"

Sirius looked down sternly at Harry. "Remind me why am I not comfortable with the idea of you staying at home alone young man?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at his godson. "I don't kn-" He paused abruptly when he realised what Sirius was implying. He blushed profusely. "But Sirius, I've learned my lesson. I won't try something like that again so can I please stay home? Pretty please?" The pleading emerald eyes looked absolutely adorable and Sirius didn't want to refuse the request but as firmly as he could, he shook his head.

In all honesty, Sirius trusted his godson but at the same time, he knew that Harry was his father's son and was bound to do something he wasn't supposed to do. "No. I don't think that's possible Harry and besides, it's not going to be that bad. You can go visit Hagrid or you can come with me to Dumbledore's office."

Harry's shoulders slumped at this but he didn't say anything. Sirius felt a little bad for his godson and placed his hand between Harry's shoulder blades in order to comfort him. "Come now, I promise you will not get bored. We'll be back in an hour alright and if you're good, I'll take you to honeydukes and you can pick up some chocolate frogs, a few licorice wands or something. How does that sound?"

"Can we leave right now Sirius? You can talk to professor Dumbledore, I'll come along with you and after that we can go to honeydukes." The excitement in his voice was prominent, his despondency long forgotten. Sirius laughed at Harry's change in mood and grabbed him round the middle and ruffled his hair.

"Um, why are we going to Hogwarts?" He asked curiously, but at the same time he didn't want to pry.

Harry was having mixed emotions all the time.

Although the major part of his brain was starting to enjoy the feeling of having a family, a tiny portion of his brain kept telling him that it was all too good to be true. Sooner or later, he would be back in his cupboard, eating a slice of stale bread.

"I don't know. I got a letter from Dumbledore today morning and he said that he wanted me to come over. That's all."

In ten minutes, godfather and godson were ready, standing right next to the floo. "Here. You go first." Said Sirius, handing Harry the clay pot that contained the floo powder. "Well I uh..." Harry trailed off, reddening slightly. "Everything okay kiddo?" asked Sorius looking down at Harry, concerned.

"I've never used floo powder before." Said Harry, all in one breath. "Ah I see. No worries, we can floo together." Said Sirius. He placed a hand on Harry's back and led him into the fireplace and with that the two of them were gone in a whoosh of flames.


	7. Chapter 7: A Proposition

Godfather and godson stepped out of the flames and into Dumbledore's office. "Good afternoon Sirius, Harry." He smiled at the two of them pleasantly. The two of them greeted him back after which Dumbledore asked Sirius to take a seat on the opposite side of the desk and told Harry to go and take a seat on one of the plush armchairs that were located on the other side of the office. Harry looked at Sirius who gave him a reassuring nod and jerked his chin towards the other side. Harry reluctantly left his Godfather with Dumbledore and went off to where he was told.

It was clear that whatever Dumbledore wanted to discuss right now must be quite important considering the look of seriousness that was hidden by his smile and the customary twinkle in his blue eyes. "Sirius my boy, I am happy you could come over today on such short notice but what I need to ask of you is rather important." Sirius nodded his head for Dumbledore to continue. "I have an offer of sorts for you. To accept or reject it is completely up to you but I am hoping that you will accept it."

"Ok..."

"I was wondering if you would like to take up the Defence Against the Dark Arts post this year. We are after all in need of a capable professor and you happen to be my very first option." Said Dumbledore. _Him? Teaching a group of students?_ If he wasn't so stunned, he would've actually laughed himself silly. "Me? No offence Albus but are you alright? James and I were the most mischievous students to have roamed the school. We got more detentions in one year than most people did in seven years and now you want me to come back and teach? I really don't think I'm the best person for this job." The genial old man smiled like he had been expecting such a comment from his former student.

"I have absolutely no doubt in you my boy. After all, it is clear that you have simmered down over the years and are more than capable to take up this post. Do consider it." Said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling mirthfully.

Sirius thought about Dumbledore's words. It was true that he had become more responsible and serious (no pun intended) now thanks to Azkaban. Besides, if he took up the post, he would be able to be there for Harry when his godson needed him and the teaching part could be handled quite easily now that he thought of it. He could ask Moony to help him with the lesson plans. "I'll think about it."

"Wonderful." Said Dumbledore, leaning against the backrest of his chair. "Anything else?" Sirius asked Dumbledore. The old man shook his head so Sirius decided to wrap the meeting up. "Very well then. I'll take your leave now Albus." He stood up, went to where Harry was sitting, lost in thought and gently shook his godson's slight shoulder.

Harry, who had been sitting and thinking there, brimming with curiosity, was jostled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go pup." He looked up to see Sirius smiling at him. "Yeah ok." Said Harry and they left the pristine office without further ado.

After that, as promised, Sirius took Harry to honeydukes where Harry picked up a lot more than just a few chocolate frogs and licorice wands. The main reason Sirius had wanted to take Harry out was because he silently wanted to observe how much his godson had opened up. During their previous outing, Harry had been so afraid and frightened that he had hardly spoken at all. But now, the observation hadn't disappointed Sirius as he saw the boy prancing around the store, his arms loaded with all sorts of goodies including a pack of Bertie Bott's every flavoured beans, acid pops, sugar quills, toothflossing springmints and of course, a dozen chocolate frogs.

Once Sirius was sure that Harry had enough candy for quite sometime, he saw that his godson's arms were loaded with some more, he gave Harry the look. They were in the middle of the summer and he didn't want his godson getting sick. "You'll end up with a bad stomach young man. Put those back." He instructed firmly. Harry pouted and gave his godfather the best puppy eyes that he could muster although he knew pretty well be now that Sirius wouldn't budge. When the only reaction he got from the Animagus was a gesture towards the shelves, resignedly, Harry placed the stuff that he had in his arms back where they belonged. He cheered up a bit though when he saw that they had picked up quite a lot.

The rest of the day passed quite quickly and Harry found himself in bed in no time at all. "Goodnight puppy. I love you." He said, kissing Harry's forehead and moving towards the door. "S-Sirius?"

"Hmm?"

"I l-love you t-too." Sirius's heart soared with elation when he heard Harry say this. It was the first time Harry had reciprocated and he couldn't be any happier. "Love you pup." He said once again and walked out of the room.

* * *

"Sirius, why did Professor Dumbledore want to see you the other day?"

The question caught Sirius off guard. He hadn't expected Harry to bring that meeting up after a week. But then Harry was rather inquisitive nowadays. "That is between me and the headmaster only." Said Sirius, playfully tweaking Harry's nose. The latter huffed indignantly and crossed his arms, looking like a five year old who had been refused a toy. But then maybe the boy was simply bored.

It had been quite sometime since Harry had flown on his broom but the boy hadn't brought up the topic even once although Sirius had noticed the longing looks he would cast towards his broom which was always in his room, in a corner. Part of Sirius felt it was because Harry was still too afraid to ask for it. The man felt that maybe it was time to lift the restrictions he had placed on Harry's broom privileges.

"Harry, would you like to go out flying for a while until lunch?" He asked. His godson gave him a surprised look at this. "But it was... it was part of my punishment right?" He asked. "Have you learned your lesson?" A nod. "And you will never try something so reckless and foolish again?" He asked sternly, giving Harry his best I-mean-it look. Another vigorous nod. "Well then, I suppose a little flying won't hurt. I am letting you go out today on the condition that you will strictly remain within the wards and will not fly beyond a certain level. Are we clear Harry James?"

"Yes, sir." Replied Harry, not wanting to let his godfather down. "Good. In that case, you are free to go and fly." At these words, Harry all but flew upstairs and was back again with his Nimbus 2000 clutched in his hand. He was about to go out when he stopped abruptly, walked to where his godfather was leaning against the door and wrapped his arms around the tall man.

"Thank you Sirius." He said and once more Sirius was touched by the amount of kindness this eleven year old possessed. "Your welcome pup. Now off with you little mongrel." He said, pretending to shoo Harry away. The boy just laughed and went off to do the one thing that he had missed for so many days.

As Sirius sat down on his favourite armchair, like most people when left alone, he began to think about all the recent happenings that had occurred in his life. Having Harry around had proved to be absolutley wonderful. Sirius couldn't be any happier now that Harry had opened up almost fully. But then ten years of abuse couldn't be forgotten within a month. There were time when he had caught Harry trying to do jobs around the house and the look of innocence on his godson's face when he had been asked to not do any chores had shattered his heart. There were also times when Harry forgot where he was and every time he accidentally dropped something, his instinctive reaction was to back up against the wall or cover his head with his arms and start whimpering apologies. He was glad that Harry had started talking to Sirius more about what took place at the Dursleys'. Talking really helped and so every time Harry woke up from a nightmare, Sirius was always by his side, telling him that everything was alright. He would then pull the distraught child into his lap and comfort him as Harry slowly related the contents of his nightmare to his godfather. Sirius had become used to his godson's pattern of thought by now and knew exactly what reassurance the boy needed and when. Everything that Harry had told Sirius had nearly brought tears to the man's eyes. Being locked in the cramped cupboard, dizzy with hunger for almost days together, sentenced to endless chores and tasks way beyond the ability of a small boy and then subjected to cruel punishments and beatings if he failed to complete them.

Sirius had worked hard to make sure that Harry would move on and was pleased to see that it was all working. Every time his godson would grin at him, laugh heartily or give Sirius a sudden hug, the man knew that he would still be able to give Harry a proper and much deserved childhood. With all sorts of ideas for Harry's welfare going on in his brain, he realised that it was the twenty fourth of July today. Precisely a week before his godson's birthday. By now, Sirius knew the Dursleys pretty well and was ready to bet that those wretched souls had never given the child a proper birthday. But this year, Sirius Black would change that.

He immediately floo called Remus and asked him to come over. The werewolf had visited quite a few times so far and now Harry was starting to get comfortable with Remus. The two remaining Marauders sat down in the living room and planned Harry's very first proper birthday.

"Hi Remus." Said Harry as he walked into the house, his hair sticking up in every direction and his cheeks flushed due to the air. Sirius was thankful that they had finished their planning for he would've gone crazy of Harry had walked in when they had been debating over the party's menu. "Hello Harry. I see you've been enjoying yourself." Remus said to which Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Well them I'll leave you two alone. I had better get going." Remus said and what about to get up when Sirius firmly pushed him down. "You will stay for lunch and then you can wander off to wherever you want." It wasn't a question and Remus, who was accustomed to the Black Lord's stubborn attitude, gave in and stayed back.

"Moony, Harry, why don't you both go to the dining room? I'll join you'll shortly." Said Sirius and the aforementioned people walked off to the dining room. Harry practically ran since he was starving.

As Sirius watched the child, _his_ child dragging Remus to the table, with a grin on his face, he knew that he, the famous Marauder would make sure that Harry would have a most memorable birthday indeed.


	8. Chapter 8: Happy Birthday Pup

"Have you started off with your holiday homework pup?" Asked Sirius as the two of them were bent over the tea table, engaged in a leisurely game of wizard's chess. "Well, I...uh." Harry stammered slightly, not sure how to answer as he didn't know how his godfather would react.

"Shall I take that lack of response as a no?" Asked Sirius, raising an eyebrow to which Harry nodded, refusing to meet his guardian's eyes. Sirius observed his godson's worried demeanour and decided to ease his worries. "I'm not upset pup. That's alright. Why don't you get started with it so that you'll be done with it well before school starts? Hmm?"

Harry nodded, looking considerably relieved. Later on that day, Sirius went to the Weasleys for some 'reasons that he couldn't share with Harry.' He had made Harry promise him that he wouldn't try to do anything reckless and the small boy had done just that.

Harry trudged upstairs to his room, to get done with that monster of an essay Snape had set for the students. He opened his bedroom door to find someone or something rather, jumping on his bed. He recognised the creature as a house elf. The only one he had met so far was Becky so it was rather odd to walk in and find a house elf in one's room.

"Hello? Um who are you?" The house elf abruptly stopped bouncing at the unexpected entrance of the occupant of the room. He jumped off the bed and stared at Harry with an almost awed look on his face. "Harry Potter sir. What an honour it is sir. I is Dobby sir. Dobby the house elf."

"Ok so... uh... so what can I do for you?" Asked Harry, his confusion only increasing by the second. "It's... It's difficult for... for Dobby to say."

"Why don't you sit down," said Harry politely, pointing at the bed. To his horror, the elf burst into tears, howling loudly and blowing his nose with that filthy pillowcase that he wore.

Now Harry didn't know how to react. So he did the only thing he had become accustomed to, thanks to the Dursleys. He apologised: "Please Dobby, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm really sorry." The hurried and desperate apology only seemed to increase the flow of unceasing tears. After what seemed like ages to Harry the tears subsided to sniffles and Dobby looked up at Harry with wide eyes.

"Offend Dobby? Dobby has never been asked to... to sit down by a... by a wizard sir." The elf managed in between its sniffles. "I don't suppose you must've met any decent wizards then." Said Harry, his confused expression replaced with pity.

Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the wardrobe, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Harry stood transfixed for a moment before he came to his senses and grabbed the house elf's pillow case, bringing the distraught creature out of its self inflicted punishment.

"Thank you Harry Potter sir. Dobby is most grateful sir. Dobby almost spoke ill of his family sir so Dobby punishes himself sir." Harry looked at the elf, wondering why the elf would want to do that before he remembered that Becky had also started banging her head against the door upon a certain day until Sirius had stopped her and firmly reminded the house elf that she was not to punish herself.

"Um, why exactly are you here Dobby?" Harry asked, deciding not to dwell on the elf 's punishment.

"Dobby has come to warn Harry Potter that Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

"What? But why? What are you talking about?" Harry enquired, a look of utter bewilderment crossing his features. "Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts! Bad things happen at Hogwarts sir. HARRY POTTER MUST NOT GO BACK TO HOGWARTS!" The elf 's initial plea turned into a loud screech and before Harry could ask any further questions, Dobby was gone with a resounding CRACK.

Harry was stunned. Why had the elf come here? Should he tell Sirius? What would his godfather say?

But then it suddenly dawned on him. It was a prank. A stupid, lame prank that was being played on him by one of the students at Hogwarts. He decided to forget about all of this and start working on that essay as he did not Snape sneering at him on his first day back at Hogwarts. As he started working on the essay with his copy of Magical Drafts and Potions lying open nearby for reference.

* * *

While his godson was at home, probably doing some homework, Sirius had gone over to the Weasleys and invited them for Harry's birthday. He gave them the details and the matriarch of the Weasley family had assured him that the entire family would be present to celebrate Harry's birthday.

Later, he sent an owl to Hermione as well as Harry's other friends after he came home and was just about to go to the library when he heard a CRACK from Harry's room. Frowning slightly, he went upstairs and opened the door to the boy's room.

Harry froze when he heard the door being opened. He whirled around to see his godfather standing outside. "What was that sound I heard Harry?" He asked. He didn't sound angry in the least, only confused. "N-Nothing" Harry replied, feeling guilty about lying to Sirius but he really didn't want to make a big deal of some joke being played on him. "Are you sure?" Asked Sirius, giving Harry a questioning look. Harry nodded the affirmative so Sirius didn't say anything more. After Sirius left, Harry tried to do his essay and suppress that tiny bit of guilt and managed to do two out of the four feet.

Harry couldn't fall asleep that night. He didn't know why though. Sirius had tucked him in at ten and he had been tossing and turning in his bed for quite some time. He waited slowly for sleep to overcome him and it did at last.

* * *

Harry's eyes fluttered open to meet a pair of grey ones. Except that they didn't belong to a man. A huge black dog stood, tall and proud near the headboard, his eyes twinkling mirthfully. Harry didn't have time to think much as the dog climbed onto his bed and hovered above him.

The sight of a huge animal towering over him would have terrified Harry but not this one. "Good morning Sirius." The dog transformed and there stood Harry's godfather. Before Harry knew it, he was lifted off his bed and onto the floor in an upright position as his godfather's arms pulled him into a tight hug.

"Happy birthday pup." Sirius whispered, his chin resting on top of Harry's head after kissing the unruly black hair. With all the moving and settling that had been happening Harry had completely forgotten his birthday. But Sirius had remembered. He could feel himself positively bursting with love and affection for his godfather.

"Thanks Sirius." He said as he hugged the man back. "Get dressed and come downstairs pup." Said Sirius and left the room.

Harry got ready and rushed downstairs only to find Remus sitting in the living room instead of Sirius. "Where's Sirius?" The question popped out of his mouth before he could stop himself and Harry mentally berated himself for having been so rude.

"Sorry." He said, knowing that it was only proper. Remus however had expected such a question and he merely smiled. He had caught the flash of disappointment in Harry's eyes when the child had come downstairs to find him instead of his godfather. He couldn't tell Harry the real reason of course so he said the first thing that came to him. "Sirius had to go to meet a ministry official so he'll be back in the evening. However, I'll be there with you throughout the day and as per Sirius's instructions, I'm supposed to take you out for lunch and he says he'll meet you in the evening."

Harry felt disappointed. Why would his godfather leave like that without even telling him anything and that too on his birthday? He had really expected to have a great time after the warm birthday wishes Sirius had given him only a few minutes ago. But now, he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Sirius didn't love him after all. With great effort, Harry pushed back the tears that threatened to flow and forced himself to remain silent and gave Remus a jerky nod.

After he managed to eat the breakfast that Sirius had left for him, Remus took him to muggle London where they went for a movie and ate lunch after that. Throughout their little outing, Harry had remained silent, answering politely when asked a question. He was too hurt to think or say anything much. Sirius had completely ignored him today and even Ron and Hermione hadn't written to him.

Soon, Remus told him that it was time to go back home and Harry all but jumped to the suggestion. All that he wanted to do now was go to his room and sob. He had been looking forward to spend the day with Sirius but there had been no sign of the man.

Remus and Harry stepped out of the floo only to find the living room dark. "Why is it so dark Remus?" Asked Harry as his hands tried to find purchase on something firm to hold onto.

He didn't get an answer as the place suddenly lit up and Harry blinked for a few seconds before his eyes adjusted to the light. And there it was:

The entire room and been decorated beautifully with streamers, balloons and a banner that read: Happy Birthday Pup. The Weasleys were there as well as Hermione, Neville, the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Seamus, Dean and... Sirius.

He found himself being lifted off the ground and into a bone breaking hug. He didn't have to see the person's face to know who it was because there was only one person in the entire world who would show him such love and affection. "Happy Birthday again pup. Enjoy yourself." Sirius said before setting Harry down and giving him a light push towards his friends.

After that, Harry didn't know how time flew by. One moment he was talking to Ron and Hermione and the very next second he was dragged away by the Quidditch team with Wood shouting out the training plans for the coming year. Harry couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun. This truly was his best birthday ever.

All too soon, dinner was served and slowly the guests began to leave after wishing Harry one last time. Once every one had left, Harry sat down to open the presents that he had received. "Did you have a good time today?" Asked Sirius as he sat down next to Harry on the floor, slinging an arm around Harry's shoulders. "The best ever." Harry replied, leaning against Sirius.

"Bed, Harry." Sirius said firmly when the clock had struck an hour past Harry's bedtime. Harry, too tired to protest, took his godfather's proffered arm and allowed himself to be led upstairs and tucked in. After their nightly ritual, Sirius went off to his own room to sleep. The man had spent a long and busy day making sure that Harry had the best birthday ever and the pure euphoria on his godson's face had made all his efforts worth it.

Harry, on the other hand, was feeling too guilty to be able to sleep peacefully. Throughout the party, he had enjoyed himself immensely but as the guests had left, and he had started on his presents, he slowly started feeling guilty. He felt like a prat, an utter and complete idiot for having thought that Sirius didn't love him. With a sigh, he decided that he would probably feel much better once he had spilled everything to Sirius and so he pushed the covers off himself and with as much courage as he could muster, he walked to his godfather's room.

He was doing pretty well until he reached the rosewood door that read 'Sirius Black.' What would Sirius say when he heard Harry's confession? Would he be angry? The answer to the latter question was obviously a yes but Harry felt that the deserved it so, taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door twice.

Sirius, thanks to Azkaban, was a very light sleeper and the timid knock on his door had him wide awake in an instant. He answered the knock with a soft 'come in' as there was only one other person who lived in this house other than him.

"Sirius?" Sirius sat up slowly and saw Harry standing at the entrance of his bedroom, a look of uncertainty flickering across his features. "Come here pup." He commanded gently and Harry obeyed without a word.

Sirius pulled Harry down to sit next to him, clearly aware that something was bothering the kid. "You know you can tell me anything right?" He asked, taking hold of Harry's chin and forcing his godson to meet his eyes. This was it, Harry thought.

"S-Sirius, today morning when you wished me, I felt really nice. B-But, after I came downstairs, y-you weren't there. Remus was. I thought you didn't l-love me and that was w-why you asked R-Remus to stay with me." Harry said it all in one go, although he was unable to avoid the occasional stutter. After his little confession, Harry dropped his gaze. He needed to get it out and he had been right. Talking really did help. He felt loads better now although he was waiting for Sirius's reaction.

"Look. At. Me." The words spoken were firm and brooked no argument. "Harry James, what I said the other day still stands. I love you kiddo and nothing is going to change that. I want you to understand that perfectly Harry."

Sirius was shocked that Harry would even think like that. He knew that Harry was happy living with him and he was sure that they had made considerable progress. He couldn't deny that he was hurt but then again, one decade of abuse didn't couldn't be forgotten in one month. He settled on calming Harry's fears and doubts and was glad when Harry relaxed completely against his side.

"Are you okay now pup?" Asked Sirius, running his hand through Harry hair: a gesture that seemed to calm the boy down all the time. Harry nodded and he meant it. He was alright now. He could feel his cheeks heating at the fact that he was behaving like a five year old that needed coddling due to a nightmare but being held like this was a feeling that he had started to enjoy.

Sirius then got up and took Harry to his room. "Sleep tight pup." Sirius said and Harry did just that for the latter part of the night.


	9. Chapter 9: The Fever

**Rewritten**...

* * *

So, I might be putting in a character of my own. This girl is going to be Sirius's daughter and will be a year or two younger than Harry. I personally felt bad for Sirius when Rowling killed him in OOTP. I mean he deserves to have his own family life.

Secondly, the Sirius in my book is not wild and reckless as Rowling portrays him because Azkaban has made him simmer down tremendously. He's going to be the father figure Harry never had. So let me know what you'll think about this. The next chapter will be uploaded soon so hope I can meet your expectations. Oh and I really look forward to constructive criticism.

* * *

Last night's event had given Sirius the answer that he needed to give Dumbledore regarding the job offer. Harry was still healing from all those unspeakable things the muggles had done to him and he still needed Sirius to be there for him. He was going to be there for his pup and make sure that Harry completely moved on. With that decision in mind, Sirius sent a letter to Dumbledore, telling the man that he would take up the post for the forthcoming year. Although he knew that he had done the right thing, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about his new job. He wondered how all the students would react to him. He could only hope that everyone believed that he was innocent.

With nothing to do, the Animagus started getting bored. Harry had gone to Ron's house to spend the day and Sirius would go over and collect him in the evening before dinnertime. There was still a lot of time left for that so he didn't knew how to kill time till then.

He looked at his reflection in the polished cup in which he had been drinking tea and smiled. His appearance had improved a lot ever since his release from Azkaban. He wasn't deathly pale anymore and he had gained back his much needed weight, muscle as well as his former looks that could bring any woman down on her knees. Sure, Azkaban had taken away his freedom for the past decade but it hadn't been able to take away his qualities. He still retained his charisma, his slick tongue and the temper. Of course, he wasn't reckless anymore and gave every matter great thought before acting.

He smirked at the thought of his godson's expression as he flirted with the ladies. James had always tried to imitate his charismatic personality so as to charm Lily but it had never worked. Most of the times, Sirius had nearly bitten off his cheek to keep himself from laughing at his best friend's futile efforts.

At about seven he went to collect Harry from the Weasleys who insisted that the two if them stay back for dinner and on Molly's insistence, Sirius complied.

Harry had been having a great time all day. Sirius had let him go to Ron's house right after breakfast and the two best mates had played Quidditch with the twins and Ginny after which they had come home, feeling absolutely exhausted and ravenous. After lunch, the twins had briefed Harry and Ron on the pranks they were going to play that coming year and how they planned on getting as many detentions as possible.

"Harry dear, have you bought all your requirements for your second year?" Asked Mrs. Weasley as she bustled around the kitchen cooking Beef Wellington for dinner. "No, Mrs. Weasley. Sirius said that we would go sometime this week." Harry replied as Ron defeated beat him at yet another game of chess. "Maybe we could all go together. It would be great." Said Ron to which Harry nodded. It would be brilliant indeed. He would ask Sirius later on if he was okay with it.

Later, Sirius came to pick him up for supper but then Mrs. Weasley insisted that they stay back and they did. "Sirius, can we go along with Ron to buy my new books?" Asked Harry as he ate. There was a shyness and hesitancy in his voice that always appeared when he asked for something or confessed anything. Sirius smiled at Harry fondly and ruffled the black hair, chuckling as he did so. "Of course we can."

All in all, it was a great day.

* * *

Sirius was waiting for Harry to come downstairs so that the two of them could have breakfast together. It was 8:30 already and although Harry woke up at around eight everyday, there was no sign of him waking up. Frowning, he went upstairs to see why the boy wasn't up yet.

"Harry, pup, wake up. You need to have breakfast and get ready for the day." He said as he opened the curtains in his godson's room. His voice made it clear that he wasn't requesting. When he received no response from Harry, he pulled the covers off him, only to find that harry was curled up tightly and shivering. Worried, he turned Harry over. As his hands made contact with Harry's bare skin, he realized that Harry was warm.

"Harry, wake up." The worry in his voice led to an unintended sharpness in his words and slowly Harry's eyes opened, his muscles automatically tensing at the sharp tone. Sirius sighed with relief and helped Harry sit up and supported him with his arm. It was quite obvious that Harry had a fever. The poor boy was still shivering and Sirius didn't know what to do. "I'll be right back pup." He said, kissing Harry's forehead and running out of the room. He ran downstairs and fire called his cousin, Andromeda Tonks. The two of them had met up last week and were on good terms now. "Andy, I need you to come over right now. Please. It's Harry."

"I'll be right there." And a second later, Andromeda Tonks stepped out of the fireplace. Sirius nodded his gratitude and the two of them rushed upstairs. Sirius stood to a side and watched as the middle-aged healer asked Harry a few questions and gave him a potion. Harry, who was still wary of strangers, seemed to be terrified of the healer. Other than Madam Pomfrey, he didn't have any experience with healers. He absolutely hated doctors, he was afraid of them. He shot Sirius a few desperate glances to which Sirius gave Harry a reassuring smile. "Pup, it's fine. Just relax. This is my cousin Andromeda and she's just going to check you. She won't hurt you kiddo."

Eventually, Harry relaxed, with the assurance that Sirius was right there. As Andromeda checked Harry, she took in the thin appearance and pale face of the small boy in front of her. He didn't look any older than nine or ten. Harry wouldn't stop flinching away from her. "Just relax sweetie. I'm just going to make sure that you get better real quick." She felt his forehead and instantly felt the heat.

"He's got a temperature. Nothing to worry about Siri. Just make sure he rests thoroughly. He'll be back to normal in no time at all." She said, handing Sirius a bag if potions along with a few instructions. "Thanks a lot, Andy." He said gratefully. "I'd also recommend a full body check up for him. He is worryingly thin. If you're willing to come by, I can give you a slot on Wednesday." she said. "I'll definitely get Harry along. You keep that slot open." said Sirius mentally making a note to take Harry to St. Mungo's. Andromeda nodded and smiled, gave him a quick hug and left.

After she was gone, Sirius went to check on Harry. "How're you feeling?" He asked as he sat down at the foot of the bed. "I'm fine." Harry replied, his voice was pinched and he sounded tired. Sirius gave Harry a look of utter disbelief. "The truth, young man." He said, in a no nonsense voice. "I'm o- feeling tired like I've been... been working all day." He answered truthfully this time.

"As per Andy's instructions, you're supposed to take rest as much as possible and no exerting yourself one bit. She's also given me some potions that I need to give you after lunch and before bed." Said Sirius firmly, knowing fully well that James' son was bound to grumble about medicines.

Harry didn't complain, as he was accustomed to his godfather's stubborn nature by now so he just nodded. "She also said that you need a check up so we'll be going to St. Mungo's on Wednesday." Harry froze at this. He had never been to a Wizard's hospital before and he didn't want to go. He remembered the few times he had been taken to a Muggle doctor. The medicines had not helped him get better in the least. On the contrary, they had made him feel terribly uneasy. "P-Please Sirius, I don't want to g-go. I don't like to." Sirius frowned at his godson's visibly distressed behavior. "Pup, calm down. We're just going to go for a harmless check up. You'll be fine. I'll be staying with you the entire while." He reassured Harry. Normally, such kind of reassurance was given to five-year olds but then after all that Harry had gone through, it was completely understandable. "W-Why do I have to go?" Asked Harry looking a little too worried. "You need to go Harry. It is absolutely necessary. The healer won't do anything much. She'll just look you over. That's it. You're a strong boy Harry. You'll be just fine." He repeated. After what seemed like forever, Harry nodded.

"Thank you. Sleep for a while. I'll wake you up before lunch." Said Sirius as he tucked Harry in snugly. Sirius was glad Harry had agreed to go but the reluctance and apprehension had been clear in those striking green eyes. He felt convinced that the only obvious reason for Harry's unfounded fear of Healers or Doctors had something to do with his filthy relatives. Harry fell asleep almost immediately so he was too late to notice Sirius's worried gaze on him. Merlin, I hope he recovers soon.

Harry awoke at about eleven thirty, feeling very nauseous. He wanted to get up and run to the bathroom but he was feeling very weak. The bile rose up in his throat and before he knew what was happening, he turned to his right and threw up all over the floor, over the right side of his bed. He felt disgust well up inside him. He heard footsteps and chilled with fright. Sirius was coming upstairs. By now, thanks to Sirius's repeated reassurances, he knew that Sirius wouldn't hit him but he was bound to be disgusted by Harry. Of course he would. Harry could only hope and pray that his godfather wouldn't hate him. That hate would be worse than any severe beating.

"Harry what-" he paused abruptly when he was the panic stricken expression on Harry's face and the mess on the floor that was the source of a fetid room. He pieced it all together immediately. He cleared the mess with a wave of his hand and tended to Harry. He scooped the boy up into his arms and went to the bathroom. He sat Harry on the closed toilet seat and knelt down in front of his distressed godson. "Pup, it's alright. Everyone makes a mess when they are sick. Nothing to worry about."

As he reached behind and rubbed Harry's back, he felt Harry's tense stance and frowned inwardly. Not for the first time, he mentally cursed the Dursleys for the fear that they had instilled in his godson. "I'm not your uncle, pup. Remember that."

Harry nodded. His eyes conveying a silent apology for dirtying the room. But Sirius simply ruffled Harry's hair and smiled at him letting Harry know that it was perfectly fine. "Why don't we get you out of these clothes?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at Harry's stained nightshirt.

The boy nodded, although his face was beet red and he refused to look at Sirius.

Sirius, noticed the boy's embarrassment but remained silent about it. He had only expected such a reaction from him. It was completely normal for a twelve year old to feel embarrassed in such situations. "Why don't you go and wash your face?" He said, tactfully giving Harry some time to get over his embarrassment. He went out of the bathroom to fetch a fresh set of clothes for his pup.

"Becky!" He called out, and the house elf appeared immediately. "Master Sirius calls?" Squeaked the creature. "Becky, please make the bed and bring me a bowl of soup as well." He ordered. "Yes Master Sirius." The elf then disappeared.

Sirius went back into the bathroom and helped Harry change into the new set of clothes. He smiled warmly at Harry and led him back to the newly made bed. Once Harry was in bed, Sirius helped him sit up. "I'm disgusting. Weak." Harry mumbled. It was so soft that had Sirius not been an Animagus, he wouldn't have heard it. "No you're not. Everybody has his or her bad days Harry. So don't you ever let me hear you talk like that about yourself again." Said Sirius firmly.

"Yes, sir." Harry whispered. Harry looked so forlorn that Sirius just didn't have it in him to scold him any further. "Let's have lunch now." Said Sirius, softly brushing his knuckles against Harry's cheek. As Harry drank the soup, some of his strength returned to his body. He even drank the potions that he had to take, making a face at their sour taste

After lunch, Sirius told Harry about some of the pranks that the Marauders had played during their time at Hogwarts and Harry cheered up considerably.

Later, by the evening, Harry's fever had subsided a little and he was slowly starting to get better.

Sirius was sitting in the living room, talking to Remus when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He went near the staircase to see Harry plodding downstairs. "I couldn't sleep. May I stay with you for a while?" Asked Harry, his eyes looked tired and small. Sirius bit his lip. Part of him wanted to send Harry straight back to bed. Harry wasn't supposed to be out of bed but one look at Harry's miserable expression made him relent. He jerked his chin towards the living room and Harry wasted absolutely no time in making it to his favorite recliner.

"Sirius told me that you've got a temperature. Shouldn't you be taking rest?" Asked Remus casually as he poured himself another cuppa. "I know but its just so boring. There's absolutely nothing to do. Just lie in bed all day," Harry complained. "That is precisely what you're supposed to do when you're not well young man." Sirius pointed out, sitting down next to Harry and pulling him close.

On Harry's consistent pleading, Sirius allowed Harry to have dinner downstairs with them instead of sending him back to bed. After dinner, Harry and Remus were hunched over the chess table playing the game, which Harry just couldn't seem to win. "This is so not fair. I played with Sirius, I lost, I'm playing with you, and I'm losing. Why is it so difficult for me to win?" asked Harry, looking exasperated. "Well, I can't tell you why you're losing against me but everyone loses against Sirius." Said Remus. "That is true. After all, I am prankster plus genius extraordinaire." Commented Sirius with an over exaggerated bow that had Harry grinning at once.

The clock struck ten. Remus took that as a cue and leaned back. "Off to bed pup." Said Sirius as he watched Harry's eyelids droop. "I'm not sleepy yet." Harry mumbled although his eyes were scrunched up as he yawned loudly. "Of course you're not. You're just yawning like that to prove otherwise." Sirius countered, offering his hand to Harry. "Goodnight Remus." Said Harry sleepily as he trudged upstairs. He received a reply and heard the floo roar meaning Remus had gone back home.

Once they were upstairs, Sirius brought Harry his potions. "Do I have to? They're absolutely disgusting." Harry gave Sirius is best puppy eyes that would have melted anyone else. "I taught you that look pup. It's not going to work on me. Now go on and take these." Sirius replied with a smile in his voice. Harry pouted but took the potions nevertheless, knowing that although he was stubborn, his godfather was way more stubborn than him. "Goodnight kiddo. Get well soon." Said Sirius.

Two days later, Harry was back to normal and Sirius couldn't be any happier. He had been so terribly worried about the child and was relieved to see his godson well again. He knew how to take care of Harry's occasional flashbacks but a sick child was one thing he just couldn't bear.

Harry was also glad that he was ok because over the past two days, he had worried his godfather a lot and even though Sirius had repeatedly told him that it was no trouble at all, he still felt extremely guilty for having been such a pain. At the same time, Sirius had taken care of him in a way no one else had.

Maybe this is what having a father felt like.

* * *

Harry was nervous. Sirius could practically feel his godson's nervousness. The two of them were currently at St. Mungo's waiting for Harry's turn. "Harry Potter." The mediwitch at the desk called out his name and Harry nearly jumped.

As they went inside, Andromeda greeted both of them with a smile. "I need you to strip down and put this on love. You can change in that room right there," She said, handing Harry a hospital gown. Harry did as he was told and went and lied down on the hospital bed.

Sirius sat down on one of the chairs and observed Harry carefully. The boy was scared but he refused to show it. Andromeda waved her wand over Harry and after about a minute or so, her face contorted in anger. She went to Sirius immediately. "The innumerous scars on his body, what happened? Who did that to him?" She asked, anger giving way to sadness. "His oh so kind and loving relatives." Sirius spat.

"How could anybody do that to a young boy? The poor dear." She surreptitiously brushed away the tears that had gathered in her eyes before going and tending to the young patient in the room. She took a syringe and Harry jumped let out a worried cry the moment he saw it. He had seen Dudley get an injection many times before and his cousin had always created such a fuss that the doctors had to pin him down to inject it. He had always told Harry that they hurt terribly. "I d-don't want it S-Sirius." He pleaded, inching towards his godfather, his mind instinctively switching to his five-year old self, replaying everything that Dudley had said to him.

Sirius went and sat down next to Harry, on the bed. He threaded his fingers comfortingly in Harry's hair. "I need you to relax little one. Andy only wants to help you. She's going to make sure that you're healthy. Calm down pup." He hoped that his efforts to project confidence would work.

"Sirius is right Harry. This is only a potion which must not be taken orally." She soothed, showing him the syringe. "Come now, there's nothing to be afraid of." She took Harry's arm, and did the needful. Harry winced slightly as the needle pierced his skin but otherwise he remained silent.

"See, that wasn't bad at all." Andromeda later checked Harry's height and clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "You need to put on more weight sweetheart. You're currently 81 pounds, while the ideal weight is about 100 to 105 pounds. You'll need to take certain potions for your height and weight.

Harry grimaced at the mention of nutritional potions but he remained silent about it. "Alright then, I believe that's it. I'll see the two of you sometime later." Said the healer handing Sirius the requisite potions. Sirius nodded his thanks and accepted the potions. "This will take care of the scars. Make sure that he applies it twice a day." She said, handing him a salve. Andromeda gave the two of them a few more tips before saying goodbye to them. They left the hospital after that.

* * *

"Sirius, yesterday in the hospital, you called me little one." Said Harry looking rather put out at being addressed like that. "I guess I did," Sirius responded, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm not little." The boy protested. He knew that he was small for his age but he most certainly wasn't 'little.'

"Can't help it kiddo because you'll always be that little one who held onto Padfoot when you were learning to walk. You'll always be my Pup."


	10. Chapter 10: Diagon Alley

Harry laced up his shoes and ran downstairs. Sirius had told him that they would go shopping for his supplies today and that the Weasleys would meet them in Diagon Alley itself.

He dashed into the living room just to see Sirius coming downstairs as well. "So, I've got your letter that has the school list. Molly said she'll meet us outside Gringotts and from there, we'll carry on with the rest of the shopping." Sirius explained as he readjusted Harry cloak so that both the ends were equal.

Harry couldn't help but smile at the small action. It was a small gesture but the parental affection made Harry feel warm nonetheless. "Ready?"

Harry nodded, although floo wasn't his favourite method of travel.

"Can I... Can I try on my own please? To go through alone?" Asked Harry nervously. He wanted to try it out, to see what it felt like to do it all alone. "Are you sure?" Asked Sirius, gazing at Harry worriedly. Judging from his godson's expression last time, Harry hadn't enjoyed floo travel all that much but now when he saw Harry nod tentatively, he complied reluctantly.

"Okay pup, here's what you need to do. Take a handful of the powder. That's it just like that. Now you step in and say 'Diagon Alley' loud and clear. Okay?"

"Okay." Harry replied and did as told. He stepped into the fireplace and took the floo powder in his fist. He threw the powder into the fireplace and green flames arose immediately. "D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed, thanks to the smoke. And then came the disliked part.

It felt as though he were being sucked down a giant drain. He seemed to be spinning very fast, the roaring in his ears was deafening, he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick and suddenly the his big lunch didn't feel so good.

He fell face first into he floor, his glasses snapped at the bridge and his elbow bruised. Harry groaned as he pushed himself off the floor and sat up. He blinked as his eyes took in the surroundings.

A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Even worse, the dark, narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley.

The sooner he got out of here, the better. Nose still stinging where it had hit the ground, Harry made his way swiftly and silently toward the door. An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told him he was in Knockturn Alley. This didn't help, as Harry had never heard of such a place. He supposed he hadn't spoken clearly enough through his mouthful of ashes. He needed to find Sirius.

As he walked, he saw several people glance at him rather crookedly, like they weren't right in the head or something. They gave him twisted smiles and one of the guys, am old, bald man smiled at him weirdly, revealing one lost tooth. He sauntered towards Harry, taking his time. "Lost are you, boy?" He asked, his voice was gravelly and rough. "I'm alright-"

"HARRY! What d'yeh think yer doin' here?" Harry's head snapped to his left and he saw Hagird. Never had he been so pleased to see the genial half giant. He brushed past the old guy and ran towards Hagird.

"I was travelling through the floo and then... and then instead of going to Diagon Alley, I landed up here. His words came out in short desperate breaths and he wanted nothing more than to get back to Sirius.

"O'right. Let's get yeh back tah Diagon Alley." He said.

* * *

Sirius had turned up in Diagon Alley about a second after his godson had gone through the floo. Worry had seized his heart when he didn't see Harry waiting there. He looked around, his eyes scanning the crowd of people that thronged the streets of Diagon Alley but he didn't catch the similar flash of untameable black hair nor the glasses. He mentally chastised himself for having allowed Harry to go through the floo alone. He should have firmly refused.

Sirius, frantic with worry, suddenly wondered whether Harry had wandered off to meet his friends but he dismissed the thought immediately. Harry wasn't the sort who would do something like that. He was worried, angry and everything else.

"Sirius!" His head whipped around to see Harry and Hagird coming his way. The knot that had formed in his stomach loosened so quickly that it was almost painful. Harry all but ran towards Sirius when he saw his godfather and launched himself at the man. "I thin' I'll leave yeh both now." Said Hagrid after Sirius gave him grateful nod.

Harry clung to the man, seeking reassurance. Once Sirius was sure that Harry was back and safe, his anger returned. "Where were you? You can't just wander off wherever you like Harry James!" He said, pulling away and shaking Harry's shoulders.

Harry froze on hearing the anger in his godfather's voice. Sirius had only spoken to him that way only once so far and Harry couldn't hold back his flinch. "I'm sorry! I didn't wander away Sirius. Honest! I landed up in Knockturn Alley and then-" He explained everything as quickly as possible, not wanting to upset Sirius any further.

Sirius heard the explanation and saw nothing but sincerity in the boy's eyes and chided himself for having lost his temper that way. "I believe you pup. I'm sorry I got angry." He apologised as he slung an arm around Harry's shoulders, trying to calm the tense frame. It worked and as Sirius felt Harry lean against him slightly he smiled down at the boy.

"Harry!" Harry turned to see Ron and his family. His face broke into a smile as he saw all the Weasleys. "Hey mate." Harry replied, unable to control his joy. He had thoroughly enjoyed his summer with Sirius but that didn't mean that he hadn't missed his friends. Ron and his family needed to go to Gringotts to get some money out so all of them decided to go together to the bank first and then they would go to Flourish and Blotts.

As the vault pulled up in front of the Weasley vault, Sirius noticed Arthur Weasley's embarrassment as the man and his wife searched every nook and corner of their vault for sickles and knuts. He tactfully busied himself by talking to Griphook about something regarding some transfers that had to be made.

"Sirius, can we go to my vault as well?" Harry asked from his place next to Ron, just outside the vault. Sirius had not expected that. "Whatever for?" He asked, genuinely confused. Harry came over to him, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Well, I uh need money to but my school things." Sirius allowed himself a small smile. "Pup, that's exactly why I'm here. That vault of yours is going to remain untouched until you come of age. Till then, I'll provide for you." He said firmly, incase Harry objected.

Harry felt that warm feeling in his stomach. He had never had someone provide for him so it was all quite overwhelming. Sirius fulfilled every single one of his needs and wants without so much as an extra comment while at the Dursleys, every second hand article that they had 'bestowed' upon Harry had been taken account of. He had been made to work overtime and had been subjected to punishments that were worse than normal when he failed. Harry was extremely grateful to his godfather and felt indebted to him for all that Sirius had done for him.

After Gringotts, they went to Flourish and Blotts where Sirius picked up Harry's new books. Over there when everything was going fine, Lucius Malfoy and his son walked into the shop.

The Malfoys didn't notice him but Malfoy senior's gaze fell on the Weasleys. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Arthur Weasley and his too many children." He drawled, an arrogant sneer on his haughty features.

Harry clenched his fist and he noticed the way Ron and the twins reddened at the insult. He opened his mouth to reply to the snide comment but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Sirius looking at Malfoy with genuine amusement. "Lucius Malfoy. It's been a while, cousin."

Malfoy's arrogant sneer melted slid off his face the minute he saw Sirius, only to be replaced by a scowl. "Black. I should have expected a person such as yourself to associate with these blood traitors. " He snapped, a look of utter disdain on his face.

Sirius's look of amusement melted away instantly, his pureblood persona taking over. "Now, now Malfoy, that is hardly the way you treat your superior. What were to happen if you, the one who so staunchly believes in blood supremacy was caught disrespecting the head of his family?"

Malfoy didn't miss the underlying threat in the sentence. Of course the Malfoys were quite rich but then the Blacks had always been on the top. Now that Narcissa was married to a Malfoy, Lucius and his family were brought under the direct control of Sirius Black. "Remember cousin, one wrong move and you might find yourself ruined." Sirius said, although the expression on his face was light, his voice was steely. Lucius's normally pale face was as red as the Weasleys' hair and Harry had to control his laughter. "Now look he-" Before Malfoy could say anything' Sirius dragged him away from the others, to another part of the shop.

"You listen to me Lucy. I don't know what games you've played in my absence but all of your influence is going to stop. You can keep your house and all your so called business ventures but remember if you try anything funny against me or my godson, all your power won't help you out." His voice was low but deadly and the small beads of sweat on the haughty blonde's brow were enough proof that he was cowed by their conversation. "You can't d-"

"I can and I will do as I please because frankly me dear, I don't give a dam." Sirius snapped. The ire in his eyes told the recipient of the aforementioned statement that the Black Lord meant every word he had just said.

The senior Malfoy left without a word before he gave Sirius an opportunity to embarrass or threaten him any further. He grabbed Draco by the scruff of his neck and steered him out of the shop but before they could leave, Sirius caught Draco looking at him with a mixture of fear, awe and was that respect? Where did that come from?

* * *

"Harry, do you remember the trip to Dumbledore's office the other day?" He asked. Harry was currently lying on the rug in the living room on his stomach, reading a comic. He sat up and turned around to face Sirius, and nodded in reply.

"He offered me something and I accepted." Said Sirius, deciding that it would best if Harry knew about the proposition before he left for Hogwarts. Harry's expression turned curious. "He asked me to become the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor for the coming year." Said Sirius. He waited for the boy's reaction a little worriedly.

"So you'll be there the entire year?" Asked Harry. "Yes."

Sirius felt thin arms go around his waist and looked down at the boy. "Thank you." Harry said. Sirius felt relief and joy. He was relieved that Harry hadn't taken it in the wrong way and was glad that Harry was happy that he would be there at Hogwarts.

"I want to be there for you pup. I want to make sure that I can protect you and make sure that you don't go looking for danger." He pulled away slightly from Harry to look down at him a little sternly. Harry blushed a little, he knew that Sirius was talking about the Philosopher's stone.

Harry knew that this year was going to be different. Sirius was going to be there with him. He was elated but at the same time he was worried. He was glad that his godfather was coming to Hogwarts as he was sure that saying goodbye to the man would have been very hard but at the same time he was worried. He would have to make sure that he stayed out of trouble otherwise he was bound to get punished.

Things were different but they weren't bad and that was perfectly okay with Harry.


	11. Chapter 11: Flashbacks

**Hi everyone. Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. Hope its worth the wait! Please review this my story and tell me how it was. I'd really appreciate that. Thanks a lot!**

* * *

"I think you could do with some more sleep." Sirius said as Harry came downstairs, rubbing his eyes with both his hands. Harry smiled when he saw his godfather, just the way he did every morning. He still didn't have words to describe how happy he was to have someone as brilliant as Sirius as his godfather. "I guess so." He said sheepishly, knowing that Sirius was right.

After breakfast, Harry was going through another album that Sirius had shown him. "I love that one." said Sirius. The two of them were sitting on the floor, doing absolutely nothing but enjoying themselves. In the picture, Sirius was asleep on the sofa with baby Harry asleep in his chest. The one year old had Sirius's shirt firmly captured in his tiny and chubby fist and his hair was adorably messy. Sirius had his arms wrapped around Harry protectively.

 _Flashback:_

 _"Now darling, we'll be back soon." Lily said as she placed a kiss on the small tuft of black hair that was exactly like James' who had Harry settled on his hip. She and James were going to visit her parents today and Sirius had agreed to watch Harry so, they were currently in Black Manor, to drop him there. "James, we're going to be late if we don't leave now." She said as she watched her husband playing with their_ _son. "You be good for Padfoot ok? Mummy and Daddy will be back in the evening." Said James as he placed Harry in Sirius's arms._

 _"Pafoo! Pafoo!" Harry cried out, reaching out to Sirius. "Yes puppy, that's it. You and I are going to have so much fun together. Let your boring daddy leave." Said Sirius sticking his tongue out at James. "Mr. Prongs asks Mr. Padfoot to not turn his son against him otherwise Mr. Padfoot will not like the consequences." Said James with mock solemnity. "Mr. Padfoot would like to tell Mr. Prongs that he will do as he pleases and there is nothing that Mr. Prongs can do about it." Sirius replied, unable to hide the smile in his voice. Lily simply smiled at the playful banter that took place between them so often. "You're sure about doing this right?" Asked James, glancing at his best friend for the umpteenth time. Sirius rolled his eyes at him. James trusted Sirius a lot and he did trust him to take care of Harry but then the fatherly concern was also understandable. Sirius gave James a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine Prongs. Now you two should leave before Mrs. Evans calls you out for being late." Said Sirius, shifting Harry to a more comfortable position._

 _The two Potters left after saying goodbye, leaving Sirius alone with his godson. "So it's just the two of us now pup?" Asked Sirius as he carried Harry over to his high chair and sat him down. He fed Harry first during which Harry made sure to throw food around the house and he managed to spill some on himself too. Had some other child done this, Sirius would've probably been annoyed but he only smiled down at his beloved godson and said: 'Let's get you cleaned up shall we?"_

 _He picked Harry up and took him upstairs. Sirius took off Harry's clothes and lowered him into the bathtub. For an infant, Harry had a tremendous amount of energy. He splashed about vigorously, successfully soaking Sirius in the process._

 _After both of them had a fresh set of clothes on, Sirius tried to get Harry to sleep a little but the baby was anything but sleepy. "Pay! Pafoo pay!" Was all that he kept saying._

 _"You want to play?" Harry nodded enthusiastically. Sirius smiled down at his godson. "Alright. Let's go to your room." Harry spent a lot of his time in Sirius's house so his godfather had set up a room for him to play in. It had all the toys a child would want and a small playpen as well._

 _Harry played around the room, taking small, baby steps. "That's it puppy. Come on! You can do it." Said Sirius as he stood a little away from Harry and held his hands out for Harry to take. The toddler staggered a little but he took the steps. Once Harry had reached him, Sirius bent down and scooped him up, gently tossing him up and catching him._

 _Harry played with his rattles, banging them on the floor or swinging them around or just chucking them across the room. Sirius made sure that he didn't put anything in his mouth as he played. Later, Sirius transformed into Padfoot and played with his godson, as it was Harry's favourite way to play. After playing for a while, Sirius read Harry a story. He sat in his godfather's lap, listening to what he could. Although Harry didn't understand the story, he still tapped the pictures energetically whenever he found any of them interesting or appealing._

 _By the end of the story, Harry yawned so hard that this eyes became all scrunched up. "I guess it's nap time now." He took Harry to the living room and sat down, rubbing his godson's back slowly. Slowly Harry's breathing became heavy and as Sirius started to lay him down, the infant gripped his godfather's shirt in his tiny fist, refusing to let go. Smiling tenderly at this, Sirius settled down on the couch and wrapped his arms around his godson. In no time at all, even he was asleep. That was how James and Lily found them when they returned._

"You were an absolutely adorable baby, Harry." Said Sirius as he ran his hand through Harry's hair. His godson smiled back at him shyly, blushing at the praise. Sirius's eyes brightened up suddenly. "Come with me. I want to show you something." Sirius got up and offered Harry his hand which the boy took.

The two of them went upstairs to a part of the house where Harry had never gone before. It's not like he didn't want to but it's just that the house was so huge that he hadn't explored that section yet. They stopped in front of a door and Harry looked up at his godfather with curiosity and confusion but Sirius only smiled back at him gently.

Sirius opened the door and gestured for Harry to go in. Harry's jaw all but hit the ground when he stepped in. It was a playroom. The same one that Sirius had just told him about. It had everything intact. Harry had never seen so many soft toys in his life. There was a lion, a unicorn, dinosaur, a stag, a black puppy and even a little wolf. There was even a disfigured rat with its stuffing all torn that was lying in a corner. Other than that, there was a playpen that had little animals on it and there so many other toys and action figures. "You used to play over here so often. You refused to leave so Lily and to put you to sleep sometimes right here."

Harry took in all this information and tried to control the tears that were threatening to spill. After living with Sirius, and listening to all the stories that his godfather had told him, his parents had become more and more real instead of just an album of pictures. Unable to hold it back any longer, a small sniffle escaped his throat.

Sirius glanced down at Harry with concern. Had he done the wrong thing by showing Harry all this? He opened his mouth, to say something comforting but before he could, Harry turned and buried his face into his godfather's robes. "I'm glad you took me in Sirius. I love you." Although his words were muffled, Sirius had no trouble understanding the words. Those two sentences tugged at Sirius's heartstrings. "I love you too pup. More than you can imagine."

* * *

"Pup, would you like to go out tonight?" Asked Sirius, out of the blue. It had been quite some time since the two of them had gone out and Sirius wanted to make good use of every opportunity that he got to make sure that Harry was totally comfortable with him. Harry had warmed up to him a lot but there were still moments where Harry flinched at his touch. There were times he looked at Sirius with fear in his eyes while there were instances where Harry would back away from him. Sirius knew well enough that his godson would take a considerable amount of time to heal completely and he would wait patiently. But that didn't mean that he would sit back and do nothing.

"Yes please." Harry replied, looking really happy.

That evening, Sirius took Harry out to muggle London. Only this time, they didn't go shopping. Instead, Sirius took Harry to watch a movie. He had been astonished when Harry had shamefacedly told him that he had never been to watch a movie before. He had asked Harry to go and get ready before he went onto his own room and let loose a string of curses and punched the wall as hard as he could.

They watched a movie that revolved around werewolves and vampires in which Harry had to explain to his godfather that they weren't actual werewolves in the movie and that the vampires were unreal as well. After that, Sirius and Harry went to a restaurant, both of them feeling ravenous.

"So what would you like?" Asked Sirius, observing Harry's reaction. There it was again. Harry's eyes darted around nervously, looking everywhere but at Sirius. He was once again back to his former nervous self. "Anything is f-fine." He replied. Back to stuttering. "Oh come on pup. Surely you can do better than that." Said Sirius, giving Harry his best reassuring smile. "Go on. Choose whatever you want."

"Cheeseburger please?" Harry asked uncertainly. Sirius's smile widened and he nodded. "Of course pup. Cheeseburger it is. You can also have a milkshake after that. Andy said that you need to gain more weight."

The waitress came to take their orders. "What can I get you?" She smiled at Harry sweetly but then she turned to Sirius and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. "And what can I do for you?" She twirled a loose strand of hair between her fingers and smiled at him. However, this smile was very different from the one she had just given Harry. "A double cheeseburger with a chocolate milkshake and a Spaghetti Bolognese. That'll be all for now. Thank you." He shot her a charming smile and watched as her cheeks coloured. "Of course." The waitress tripped over herself slightly as she went to get the order. Harry watched all this, confusion taking over his mind. Why's had that lady blushed so furiously!

She came back with their orders and gave Sirius another flirty smile as she set their dishes down on the table. Sirius of course reciprocated it with a suave expression and obviously, she blushed once more. They were eating when Harry's curiosity got the better of him. "Sirius, why did that lady blush so much?" Asked Harry innocently as he ate. "Did she now? I didn't notice at all." Sirius replied casually, although he was laughing really hard in the inside. Wait till Harry grew up a little. The expression on his fave would then be priceless.

After dinner, they went back home where Harry all but fell asleep on Sirius. "I think it's time you went to bed pup." Said Sirius, chuckling as Harry yawned widely once more. Harry was barely aware of his godfather's arm supporting him as the went upstairs so that he didn't fall over himself. He sleepily got into his pyjamas as Sirius pulled back the covers and he climbed in. "Goodnight pup. Love you." Said Sirius, placing a kiss on Harry's crown. "Love you too." Harry whispered sleepily.

As his godson fell asleep with a contented smile on his face, Sirius thought that maybe everything was alright. At that time, he didn't know how wrong he was to think that way.

 _Seven year old Harry Potter had been washing the dishes all afternoon and his little arms were feeling extremely weary and he was totally worn out. If only he could sit down for just a minute. He dismissed that thought immediately. His aunt and uncle had taken him in despite all his freakiness. Sitting about lazily was no way to repay the hardworking family who tolerated his abnormality._

 _He picked up a porcelain dish and was about to put it in the sink and clean it when his arms gave way and it fell and smashed. Fear gnawed at his heart. Nothing he did now would take him away from the beating that was about to come. He dropped to the ground and began to pick up the pieces as quickly as he could but it was too late. "You clumsy little freak! How dare you!" Harry's head shot up to see his aunt striding towards him, her face contorted in anger. Before Harry knew what was going on, the Dursley matriarch yanked Harry up by the front of his shirt and delivered one sharp slap across his left cheek. Harry cried out in pain only to get another slap. "I-I'm s-sorry Aunt P-Petunia. I'm s-sorry." He sobbed._

 _"Clean this up. NOW!" She barked. Harry did as told, trying to stem the tears that were flowing down his face. After he had done that, she roughly grabbed him by the elbow and shoved him into the cupboard underneath the stairs. "You wait! I'll have your uncle deal with you once he's home." She slammed the door on his face and left him sobbing._

 _Harry drew his knees up to his chest and curled himself up as small as he could. Aunt Petunia's warning rung in his ears. He hoped against hope that Uncle Vernon would not use the belt but that would never happen. His uncle came home and he was yanked out of his cupboard. "We give you food to eat and a place to stay and this is how you repay our generosity! By tainting this place with your freakiness! He bellowed, his face red with rage. And then the beating began._

 _Harry lost count of how many times the belt made contact with his back. He had learned long ago not to cry for mercy. The last thing that he remembered was being thrown into his cupboard. He sat there, trying to nurse his wounds as best as he could, hoping for the millionth time that some relative of his would come and take him away._

 _The scene shifted and he found himself back at Black Manor. Sirius walked into the room, a cold and unemotional look on his face. "You're absolutely no good. Nothing more than a freak. A terrible disappointment. I'd rather not waste my time with you here. Pack up and leave. There's no place for you in this house."_

 _"S-Sir-" Harry began slowly, his voice fearful when Sirius grasped his chin none too gently. "Not another word. Leave. Now."_

 _This was so much more worse than the flashback he had just had. The only man who he looked up to as a father had just rejected him. He was orphaned once more._

**************{}***************{}*************

Sirius, who had been sitting in his study, looking at some letters that had arrived was jolted by the screams coming from Harry's room. He threw his quill down and raced upstairs. Sirius had thought that he knew what kinds of nightmares Harry had but he was totally unprepared for what he saw now.

"SIRIUS! I'm s-sorry! P-Please d-don't make me l-leave."

Never in his dreams had Sirius expected this. He was in his godson's nightmares? "Harry, sshh. It's alright. You're okay." He pinned Harry's arms down to stop the boy from thrashing around and held them there till the thrashing stopped. "Open your eyes pup. It's me, Sirius." He hoped that his words would calm Harry down and was glad when Harry blinked his eyes open.

"P-Please S-Sirius, I don't w-want to go back." The words were a knife to his heart. "Ssh Harry. You're okay and you're not going anywhere." He hugged Harry to his chest and sat down. "What did you see Harry?" He asked, making sure to keep his voice calm and soothing. His godson stiffened at the question. "It's okay, you can tell me about it. I won't get angry."

Harry looked at Sirius, searching for any traces of anger. When he found nothing but love and concern, he took a deep breath and began, trying to keep his voice steady. "I w-was with my aunt and u-uncle and I was seven at that time. I was... washing dishes w-when... one of them b-broke..." Harry told Sirius about what had happened at the Dursleys but didn't speak about the latter half of the dream. "What happened after that?" Sirius's voice made Harry realise that his godfather knew that there was more to his dream.

"Y-You told me... told m-me to g-go away. You c-called ... called me a d-disappointment and a f-freak." Harry didn't raise his voice more than a whisper but Sirius heard it nonetheless.

Sirius drew in a sharp breath at Harry's words. He most certainly hadn't expected this. "Puppy, that was just a dream. I'd never ever say any of those things to you pup. I'm proud of who you are and that's that. Harry, I think I had made it clear to you when you arrived that you're not leaving. I'm not going to send you away so you need to stop worrying about all this. We're family."

"You promise?" Harry asked softly, eyes pleading with Sirius to say yes. "I promise." Sirius replied while mentally swearing to himself that he would get rid of every trace of insecurity Harry had. "Why don't you try to go back to sleep now?" He asked as he got up and straightened Harry's sheets.

"Okay." Said Harry. The dream had seemed so real. When Sirius had woken him up, he had thought that the man had come to kick him out. He had been so afraid of going back, so afraid of leaving the only family that he had but his godfather's reassurance had calmed his fears.

Despite all his fears, somewhere deep down inside, he knew that Sirius meant all of what he had just said. Something told him that he had at last, found a family. One that would love him forever.


	12. Chapter 12: Back To Hogwarts

**Hey everyone. I'm sorry about the long wait but my academics are not being very cooperative as of now. Hope the chapter is worth it.**

 **I also have a few things to say: I really get annoyed when people label Sirius as an immature and irresponsible person. Nothing irritates me more than this. I absolutely LOVE him and cannot hear a word against him. Sirius is not irresponsible. His portrayal in OoTP was just a result of twelve years of unfair imprisonment. Anyone would get bitter. Sirius in one of the strongest characters I've ever seen. He lost his best friend, was sentenced to prison without a trial and could not raise his beloved godson. Despite all of that, he didn't break.**

 **Harry deserves a family as much as Sirius. This story is a father/son relationship between the two of them and so Sirius is going to be portrayed as a caring, responsible but fun parent who knows the necessity of enjoyment but at the same time, knows where to draw the line. It's my favourite part so I'm going to do it quite often.**

 **Also, there will be a good deal of emotions in my story. The characters will be expressive. Especially Sirius and Harry. Some may find that Harry seems younger than his character in the books but then in this story of mine, he was abused badly for ten years of his childhood and deprived of the parental affection that every child requires. So this is how I have portrayed him.**

 **I also got a message from one of my readers asking me as to how I think Sirius looks. Well, to answer your question, imagine Ian Somerhalder with slightly long hair and you will get a fair idea of how I picture him. Devilishly handsome and suave. I know my cover has Gary Oldman but this is how I actually picture him to be.**

 **I really appreciate you'll reading this and please enjoy this chapter:**

* * *

"Harry we're already late. It's 10:45 already. You're going to miss the train if you don't hurry up." Said Sirius, knowing that he shouldn't have let Harry sleep in.

Since Sirius was going to be a Professor, he had to be there early so Sirius would say goodbye to Harry in Black Manor itself and as Harry flooed to platform 9 and three quarters, Sirius would leave immediately for Hogwarts. "I'll se you at the feast,  
okay?" Sirius said, pulling Harry into a hug. "Go on." He ruffled his godson's hair and gave him a little push towards the floo.

Harry turned up at the Platform just in time. Mrs. Weasley was rounding all her kids up. Come on, hurry up!" Said Mrs. Weasley as she urged the twins towards the barrier. Percy and his father went next. "You two come in after us." She said, grabbing Ginny's  
hand, she pulled the girl and mother and daughter disappeared into the barrier.

Harry and Ron bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and —

CRASH.

Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared and a  
guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"

"Lost control of the trolley," Harry said, clutching his ribs as he got up. Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd."

"Why can't we get through?" Harry asked, panic starting to leak into his voice. "I don't know! What if we miss the train?" Ron gasped, thinking along those lines. Ron felt the barrier. "It's sealed!" He exclaimed.

"Harry, if we can't get through, then mum and dad can't get back!" He said, looking extremely worried. Harry looked up at the clock. 7...6...5...4...3...2...1...0. It was eleven o' clock. The train was gone. They had missed it. They had missed the train!  
"We missed the train Harry! It's gone." Ron all but yelled. "Should we go wait by the car?" Asked Harry, unsure of what to do as he tried to rein his panic.

Suddenly Ron's eyes brightened. "The car!"

"What about it?"

We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"

"But I thought —"

"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy — Oh forget all that! Let's do it. We'll catch up  
with the train and then we can get to Hogwarts on time." Ron exclaimed, his worry replaced with excitement.

"Bu-" Harry didn't have time to finish. "Come on!" Ron yelled as he grabbed his hand and dragged him to the blue car. They loaded their luggage into the back when a thought stuck Harry. "What about your parents?" Asked Harry as he got into the passenger  
seat. "They don't need the car! They can apparate." Ron explained rapidly, getting into he driver's seat and slamming the door shut.

Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished — and so did they. Harry could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees and his glasses on his nose, but for all he could see, he  
had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.

Ron rammed the accelerator with his foot and just like that they were off. Up in the air and off to Hogwarts.

* * *

Sirius felt a strong wave of nostalgia hit him as he stepped out of the floo. He was going to be here for the whole year and all his memories with James and Remus hit him at once. All the pranks that they'd played on the Professors and students, the detentions  
they'd served- every single moment.

He arrived right in time for the feast. As he took a seat at the teacher's table, his eyes scanned the crowd of students at the Gryffindor table for his godson. The sorting had just ended and he saw Percy, Fred andGeorgeat the table but he  
didn't see Harry and nor did he see Ron. Where were those two?

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our sorting which  
shall be followed by the banquet, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you all to your new Defence against the Dark Arts professor. Please join me in welcoming Professor Sirius Black."

Sirius waited for the jeering to begin but he was absolutely shocked and pleasantly surprised when the hall was filled with a huge round of applause. The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws looked genuinely happy while the Slytherins didn't look  
all that pleased. Oh well, it's not like he cared about what they thought. The boys looked at him with looks of admiration because by now most of them were aware that he was an extremely skilful Auror. The female population of Hogwarts, on the other  
hand swooned as they stared with dreamy eyes at their new professor who had the looks of a Greek God.

Sirius stood up briefly and flashed his trademark smile at the students on my to be rewarded with huge smiles from the students and more swooning from the girls. This year would be interesting!

The sorting began and one by one, once the hat had finished singing its song. The new students were sorted into the four houses. The two boys still hadn't arrived. The sorting was soon over and the feast began. Sirius wasn't even concentrating on his  
plate. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw McGonagall and Dumbledore leave the table with suspicious speed.

He was about to get up and ask Hermione as to where Harry and Ron were when Filch came up to the head table. "Professo' Dumbledore wants tah' see yeh. He's in the dungeons now." He muttered, as he looked at Sirius with no small amount of loathing. Sirius  
and James had caused immense trouble in Hogwarts and had given Filch a lot of cleaning to do. Now, he was back again. As a Professor no less! Sirius smirked slightly to himself. Oh well, this year was going to be fun. "Thank you Filch." He said and  
went off to the dungeons, to Snape's office.

* * *

Harry and Ron had arrived at Hogwarts, only to crash the Ford Angila into the Whomping Willow. Ron's wand had snapped in the process of getting out of the car that had gone wild. It opened its doors and threw the luggage out. Absolutely brilliant.

They had collected their luggage and had hoped to make am inconspicuous arrival and join the feast but it seemed as if nothing was right for the two poor boys that day.

As they trudging up the stairs, hauling their trunks along, they bumped into the surly caretaker Argus Filch who had been only too pleased to escort the two boys to Snape's office. Snape had asked the two of them to wait there while he went to the grounds  
and 'inspected the damage' that had been caused.

As of now, the two of them were standing in Snape's office and listening to his rant. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH! He snarled, glaring down at them, over his hooked nose. "You'll were seen by muggles and you'll even managed to make the front age." He  
snapped, waving the muggle newspaper in their faces.

"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.

"That tree did more damage to us than we —" Ron blurted out.

"Silence!" snapped Snape again."

"If the two of you were in my House I would have-"

"But it is not so Severus." All three heads spun around to see Dumbledore and McGonagall at the entrance. "Headmaster, these two insolent and irresponsible boys-"

"I am well aware of what they have done Severus. However, the consequences for this shall be enforced by the head of their house." He said, looking at Mcgonagall. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, the two of you will receive detention for this act. You shall  
be notified about the date. Mr. Weasley, I shall also be writing to your parents regarding this matter. As for you Mr. Potter-"

"He will be coming with me." Sirius walked into the room, his expression serious and stance firm. "Of course Sirius." Said Dumbledore.

"Black. One would expect such subpar behaviour only from your charge. It is obvious that you do not know how to raise the boy. Clearly, you don't know how to deal with him. If you did, he would think twice before displaying such poor behaviour." Snape  
drawled, lips pulling up to form a mean smirk. Sirius's eyes flared up in anger and he glared at his nemesis.

"Go and wait outside you two." Said Sirius turning to Harry and Ron. He then looked at Snape. "How I deal with my godson, is none of your bloody business Snivellus." He spat, pouring a considerable amount of venom into his words. "I don't need you to  
tell me how to raise my godchild." Snape's smirk melted and his impassive face was back again. Sirius then turned to Mcgonagall and Dumbledore. "I can assure the two of you that I shall speak to Harry and take care of the matter." He received a nod  
from the two of them and small smile as well. They left Snape and stepped out of his office.

"Mr. Weasley, you shall return to the feast." Said Mcgonagall and Ron ran towards the great hall after casting a brief glance at Harry. The red head was only too glad to get away. The other two professors also left leaving Harry and Sirius alone.

Harry was starting to get worried. His godfather had walked into Snape's office with a stern expression on his face. Sirius looked so angry and he hadn't said a single word to Harry other than asking him to wait outside. One thing was very clear to him:  
he was in major trouble. Sirius had said that he would never hit him but the anger on the man's face made him think otherwise.

"Harry, let's go."

Harry followed Sirius out of the dungeons and to Sirius's quarters. Sirius said the password (marauder) and the two of them were inside. Sirius shut the door and went onto the living room.

The silence was driving Harry crazy and it made him panicky. He opened his mouth to apologise but was cut off. "Sit down." Said Sirius, pointing to the dining table and Harry nearly tripped over himself to obey.

The boy watched his godfather summon a house elf. Sirius asked the elf to get some dinner and the elf reappeared with turkey sandwiches, mashed potatoes and some pumpkin juice.

"Eat."

Sirius was trying his utmost to lower his temper. How the bloody hell could his godson have been so reckless! Sirius had been terribly worried when he had not found his Harry at the feast even after a long time. When he had been asked to go to the dungeons,  
he had a sinking feeling that something was very wrong and his suspicions had been confirmed when he saw his godson and his best friend standing in Snape's office with ashamed expressions. And to make matters worse, Snape just had to go ahead and  
open his big mouth and cast aspersions on his parenting skills.

He wanted nothing more than to scold his boy for his foolishness and he knew that he would eventually do that, but first, he wanted to calm himself down. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to be afraid of him. The pre Azkaban Sirius would have applauded  
and congratulated Harry but as of now, he was nothing short of furious.

After the very silent dinner, Sirius sent Harry to change into his night wear. He had calmed down considerably and was no longer fuming. Now for the hard part.

Sirius saw Harry come out of the room from the corner of his eye. He had changed into his pajamas and was looking at Sirius apprehensively. He crooked his forefinger at Harry. Once Harry was standing in front of him, he pulled him down next to him. Harry  
was tense but Sirius knew that the tenseness would gradually ebb away.

"Explain everything young man and you will do well to be honest about it." He said, keeping his voice stern.

The sternness in his godfather's voice made Harry flinch. He had heard that tone very few times but it made Harry shiver nonetheless. The look on Sirius's face was one of anger and disappointment and he cursed himself for being the reason for that look.

"R-Ron and I were on the station b-but then the b-barrier wouldn't let us pass. W-We didn't know what e-else to do so we flew the car. P-Please Sirius, y-you have to believe m-me. There was n-nothing else we c-could do." That wasn't the right thing to  
say. Sirius abruptly stood up and began pacing.

"Nothing else you could do? You should have waited for Molly and Arthur! You could have come home to me and I would have taken you with me. How could you have been so reckless!" Sirius's voice grew sharper with each word.

"I thought I had made myself clear when I told you that you would stay out of danger but here I find you walking right I into it! Harry James Potter, do you even care about what I have to say? So many things could have gone wrong tonight. What happened  
to you and Ron was sheer dumb luck. The car could have crashed on the way, the Whomping Willow could have seriously injured the two of you and you might have gotten yourself expelled from Hogwarts. The possibilities of things that could have gone  
awry were endless!"

Harry tried to control his tears. Now that he thought of it, there were so many things that he could have done to avoid this. He was going to get punished, that was for certain. He wasn't going to complain, no matter what he received because the disappointment  
he saw in Sirius's eyes was like a knife to his heart. Harry lowered his gaze, unable to look at Sirius any further. He was genuinely sorry for what he had done and was willing to do anything to make up for his transgression.

"I'm sorry Sirius, I r-really am. I wasn't thinking at all. R-Ron and I didn't know what to do. We wanted to g-get to H-Hogwarts and so we panicked. I'm sorry, you have to b-believe me." A few tears slid down his cheeks as he apologised. How he hoped  
Sirius would forgive him.

It was more of worry than anger for Sirius. He could not and would not lose his godson for such stupid stunts. He looked at the hunched figure before to him and let out a mental sigh of relief for the umpteenth time. Harry was here with him, Harry was  
safe. That was all that mattered. His anger receded, replaced with thankfulness that his godson was alright.

"Come here pup." He said the words softly and his godson all but flew to him on hearing those words. Harry buried his face in his godfather's chest, not wanting to ever let go.

"Don't you dare do something like this ever again." Said Sirius as he felt tears soak the front of his shirt. He heard a small 'I promise' in return.

"As for your punishment," He felt Harry tense at that word but he continued. "I'm aware that Professor Mcgonagall has given you detention. In addition to that, you are grounded for the remainder of the week. You will attend classes, go to the great hall  
for your meals after which you will go straight to your common room or you may come here as well. Understood?"

He felt Harry nod against his chest and he slowly released his godson. He looked down at Harry's tear streaked face and gently wiped the tears with his thumb. It had been a long day for both of them.

"I promise I'll never do it again. Please, you have to forgive me." Harry said, in a stronger voice, although his voice had a pleading tone to it. He had really done it this time. From now on, he would definitely think twice before acting. The telling  
off that he had just received was enough to make him feel ashamed yet loved at the same time.

"Of course I forgive you Harry. You had better not try something like this young man of I assure you that you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble." Sirius warned his godson. The vigorous nod that he got made him smile slightly. He had some what was necessary  
and there was no need to push the matter any further.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your common room. It's quite late as of now and the sooner you're in bed, the better. You'll be getting back to your lessons tomorrow and you will be needing all your energy." Said Sirius.

They walked back to the Gryffindor tower together in a comfortable silence. Harry was relieved that he had been forgiven. Although he wasn't looking forward to the grounding, it was definitely better than what he got at his Uncle's house.

Harry found Ron waiting for him right next to the Fat Lady's portrait. Ron did not notice Sirius who was behind Harry. "Oh bloody hell mate! I though you were never going to show. What did Sirius say? How much trouble did you get into?" He inquired urgently,  
all in one go.

"Relax Mr. Weasley. I assure you Harry is perfectly fine." Sirius chuckled at the redhead's worry. Ron turned as red as his hair when he saw Sirius as well. "Sorry professor." He said, face flaming. Sirius only laughed though.

"Goodnight you two." He playfully mussed Harry's hair and let the two boys go into the common room before heading back to his quarters.


	13. Chapter 13: Professor Black

Harry's eyes opened to the familiar Gryffindor boys dormitory. He sat up, reached for his glasses and put them on, trying to get over the sleepiness. He turned to his right where Ron was fast asleep, snoring like they had all day. He saw that most of  
his luggage had been neatly arranged next to his nightstand and he figured that his godfather must have had it moved there.

He looked at his watch only to realise with a jolt that it was already 8:00. Breakfast would get over in a while and it simply wouldn't do to be late on the first day of classes. The last thing he needed was another detention. He got out of bed and shook  
his best friend awake.

The two of them made it to the Great Hall where they met Hermione who wished them a very short 'Morning' before burying her nose into her Charms textbook. Harry saw Sirius sitting at the high table. He caught his godfather's eye and smiled. Sirius smiled  
back at his godson and gave him an affectionate wink.

Ron had loaded his plate with everything that was within his reach and began eating in his usual manner, completely ignoring the look of disgust Hermione was giving him. He was just halfway through his breakfast when Errol, his family owl dropped a letter  
into his plate after successfully knocking over a jug of pumpkin juice and a plate of bacon.

It was a red envelope, nothing special but all the colour from Ron's face drained. "Hey look everyone, Weasley's got himself a howler!" Said Seamus. "What's a howler?" asked Harry, never having seen or heard of one ever before. "You'll see." Said Neville  
who looked equally weary of the letter. "Open it quickly Ron! I received one from my Gran once. It was horrible!"

Ron opened the letter and the Great Hall was filled with Molly Weasley's enraged, resounding voice:

"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR? WE'RE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED. YOUR FATHER IS FACING INQUIRY AT WORK. YOU HAD BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THE KIND OF FOOLISHNESS YOU'VE JUST DISPLAYED. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU'RE IN  
YOUNG MAN? THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE HOME, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DE-GNOMING THE GARDEN! YOU'LL BE GROUNDED FOR A VERY LONG TIME MISTER. Ginny dear we're so proud of you for being sorted into Gryffindor. I SWEAR TO YOU RONALD, IF YOU GET INTO  
ANY MORE TROUBLE..."

The letter tore itself up, leaving the threat hanging. Ron's face was as white as milk. "I'm in so much trouble when I get home." He whimpered, worry written all over his face. Poor Ron!

The time tables were handed out and much to Harry's dismay, the second years didn't have Defence that day. Instead they began with the year with Double Potions followed by History of Magic. Yay! Wasn't that brilliant?

* * *

"Good morning everyone. Welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts." Sirius smiled as he addressed the batch of Sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students. The Gryffindor students looked pretty excited, even a few Slytherin students looked enthusiastic  
about the lesson. "I'd like to make one thing clear before we proceed with today's class. I may be pure-blooded but I shall have you'll know that any sort of prejudiced comments will only lead to a loss of points and detention. Trust me when I say  
that you'll do not want to land up in one of my detentions. Are we clear?" There were a couple of 'yes sirs' in reply to his warning.

"Great. Let's get started."

He asked everyone to put away their quills as they wouldn't be doing any writing work that day.

Dumbledore had told him that the students of Hogwarts lagged behind in Defence due to the lack of a well qualified Professor. Well, not anymore. "Silent or non-verbal spells. A very good way to defend yourself in a duel is a non verbal spell. That is  
what we'll be doing today. What advantage do you have when you perform spells non verbally?"

"Your opponent has no warning about what kind of spell you are about to perform. So I guess that gives you a split-second advantage?" Answered Oliver Wood. "Top marks Mr. Wood. Ten points to Gryffindor. Practical experience over theoretical knowledge  
makes you more prepared to act in unexpected situations. Wands out everyone."

Sirius divided the class into numerous pairs. He was smart enough to pair the Gryffindors against themselves otherwise he knew all too well that things would get ugly. All the students were doing quite well and by the end of the lesson, most of the students  
had successfully managed to perform at least one non verbal spell.

Throughout the lesson, as he inspected the students' performance, he caught the girls whispering among themselves. When he had asked them what was it that they were discussing so enthusiastically, they had turned a deep shade of red and fervently told  
him that it was 'nothing at all.' The dreamy looks that they were shooting towards their new professor made it clear that whatever they were discussing was most certainly not related to the syllabus.

"That's all for today. No homework this time. I'll see you'll again on Friday when we'll be having another practical lesson. Class dismissed." As the students filed out of the class, they were thoroughly satisfied with the lesson. After a long time, they  
had actually enjoyed a Defence class. They had expected a long boring lecture followed by lengthy essays but it seemed as if things had finally taken a turn for the better. The new Professor's easy going attitude coupled with his sense of humour and  
suave appearance had made their first lesson of the year damn good.

Sirius hummed in satisfaction since his first class as a Professor had gone so well. He only hoped all his other batches went equally well.

* * *

Unfortunately for Harry, his day hadn't been as great as his godfather's. The second years had trudged to the dungeons for double potions where Snape had made every single effort to taunt him and knock points off wherever he could. Harry had exercised  
a great deal of self control to keep his temper in check. After the seemingly unending lesson, he had wasted no time in packing his stuff and exiting the stuffy dungeons without glancing back even once.

History of Magic wasn't any better either. Binns droned on in his monotonous voice and Harry tried to stay awake although he didn't have much of a choice since Hermione kept on nudging him, trying to keep him attentive. After that lesson, they had to  
go for lunch and Harry had never felt so thankful.

During lunch, Harry and Ron received a note from Mcgonagall regarding their detention that would take place the next evening. Fortunately for the two of them they had the detention together but unfortunately, Filch would be the one supervising them.

"Hey Potter!" Harry looked up to see Oliver Wood coming towards him. "Quidditch practice begins next week onwards. You'd better be there because we have to win the cup this year. There can be no mistakes this time." Said the Gryffindor sixth year, instinctively  
slipping into Captain mode. "I'll be there. Don't worry." Harry assured him.

Later, Harry went off to meet Sirius after telling his two friends that he'd meet them at the end of the day. The two of them had said that it was alright after which Hermione dragged a protesting Ron to the library (Bloody hell Hermione!).

Harry found Sirius when he reached his quarters. "Hey there kiddo. How was your first day?" Asked Sirius as he sat down next to Harry. "It was pretty boring." Harry admitted. "We had Potions and History of magic and the Professors went on and on." Harry  
admitted.

Sirius tried to look stern but failed miserably. "Well, I certainly hope you don't feel the same way about my class tomorrow. You had better pay attention or you'll end up getting detention young man." He said seriously. Harry looked up at his godfather  
with a slightly worried expression but when he saw the similar smile, he realised that Sirius was only teasing. "Well, I will try my best to not fall asleep during your lesson Professor." He replied a little cheekily. He suddenly felt that he might  
have gone too far but Sirius only grinned back in response and before Harry realised, his godfather tugged on his arm and pulled him towards himself. Before Harry knew he was squealing with laughter when Sirius's fingers attacked his stomach. "So  
you plan to fall asleep in my class?" Sirius asked with mock sternness as he tickled Harry mercilessly. By now, Harry had dissolved into peals of laughter. "No, I promise... I won't." Harry spoke as best as he could, in between his giggles.

He tried to dodge Sirius's fingers but in vain. "Sirius pleeeease!" He said, his sides aching from all that laughing. Sirius pretended to think and then said: "Hmm, no, I don't think so." Finally after some more begging from Harry, Sirius had mercy on  
his godson and stopped tickling him. Gasping slightly, Harry sat down, eyeing his godfather's fingers accusingly.

"What have you planned for us tomorrow?" asked Harry curiously. "That's something for me to know and you to find out pup. You're just going to have wait like everyone else." Said Sirius with a grin. "Did any of the professors give you any homework?"

"Both Snape and Binns want essays. It's not fair Sirius, it's only the first day back!" Harry complained. "Well, if that's the case then you had better sit down and start working on it." Said Sirius firmly. "Can I go and fly on my broom for a while?"  
Asked Harry, giving Sirius a pleading look. Sirius raised an eyebrow at his charge. "Last time I checked, you were grounded, mister."

Harry turned slightly red at that. "Alright I'll do the essays." He mumbled. "Great. You do one of them tonight and I'll come back and check it for you."

After that, Sirius went to Dumbledore's office and Harry decided to do History of magic first. Four bloody feet of it!

"Sirius my boy, how was your first day of classes? I take that you had no major trouble with any of the students?" Asked Dumbledore, offering Sirius a lemon drop that Sirius politely refused. ""Honestly, it was good. I had expected it to be really boring  
with nothing but me giving long lectures and the students staring at me like I was speaking an alien language but it was pretty decent and I'm actually looking forward to more classes." He replied.

Dumbledore smiled slightly at Sirius's description of a lesson when the door opened and Mcgonagall walked in. "I came to drop these off." She said, placing a stack of parchments on Dumbledore's desk. She noticed Sirius then. Hi there Minnie." He greeted  
her with a smirk knowing that the nickname was bound to annoy her. He wasn't disappointed. "Mr. Black! Do not call me that." She said in a slightly higher voice. "Whatever you say Minnie." Sirius replied. How he had missed annoying his former Transfiguration  
professor!

Professor Mcgonagall groaned internally. She had lost track of the number of times she had asked the two biggest troublemakers of Hogwarts to not call her that. They never listened.

The animagus later found out that Dumbledore hadn't called him for any specific reason other than to ask about his classes so he left after a short while itself.

Sirius came back to find Harry asleep on his desk, his face turned sideways on the parchment. He smiled fondly and levitated Harry into his room and into bed after changing his uniform into nightwear.

As he looked over Harry's essay, a sad smile made its way to his lips. His godson's handwriting was as messy as James's and he had also used his biggest handwriting so as to write as little as possible. He read through the essay and made encircled the  
mistakes. He'd have Harry make the changes in the morning.

* * *

 _"Come to me. Come to me._

 _Let me rip you, let me tear you, let me kill you._

 _Rip. Tear. Kill._

 _Come to me."_

Harry shot up in his bed, his breath coming out in, breathless ragged pants. The nightmare faded into darkness and he was blank. The searing pain in his scar was killing him. And that cold, deathly voice. That voice had chilled him to the bone and it  
was the only part of the dream he was sure of.

He pushed the covers off himself and threw his legs over the side of his bed and stood up, unsurprised to find that his legs felt quite wobbly. He managed to steady himself with one hand holding onto the headboard while the other instinctively reached  
for his glasses.

Harry went out of his room and poured himself some water. He instantly felt better as the cool liquid made its way down his parched throat. As he tried to remember the nightmare, he found that he only remember it indistinctly. He couldn't quite remember  
the words. The only thing that he remembered vividly was that awful, icy voice that still made him shiver involuntarily.

 _Get a grip Potter._ He told himself as firmly as he could. He mentally debated whether he should tell Sirius about this or not. He had told Sirius about his other nightmares so how was this any different? He finally decided against it and made  
up his mind to not bother Sirius with it since he couldn't even recollect the dream coherently. Although all his instincts told him to go and wake his godfather up and tell him everything, he ignored it. If only he knew that he was making a huge blunder  
by not telling Sirius.

After having another glass of water, Harry went back to his room and tried to fall asleep once more. It wouldn't do to get worked up and bothered over something he had practically forgotten by now. As sleep overtook him, his mind went blank and he simply  
slept.

* * *

"Harry, are you alright? You seem to be a bit distracted this morning." Hermione noticed. She had been trying to talk to him for the past ten minutes but he hadn't responded. "Yeah Hermione I'm fine. Just a little sleepy. I was up last night doing Binns'  
essay." He replied which was partially true. Hermione beamed at that. At least one of her best friends was studying seriously.

"I'm in so much trouble!" Ron exclaimed for the umpteenth time. All through yesterday, he had been going on about how his Mum would make him do chores all day and ground him till he came of age. "You're so lucky you live with someone as cool as Sirius.  
I bet he must've congratulated you for the kind of stunt we pulled." Said Ron. He had admired Sirius's attitude whenever he had visited Harry over the summer and even on the other day, when Ron had been pretty sure that he and Harry were as good as  
dead, Sirius hadn't looked angry at all when he had dropped Harry off at the Gryffindor tower. So, maybe, just maybe, he was jealous of his best mate.

No one other than Harry knew how false that was. He opened his mouth to tell Ron how Sirius had actually reacted but he closed it quickly. For some reason, he felt oddly protective of his godfather. He knew that side of Sirius who told him about his parents,  
made sure that he ate properly, held him tightly and consoled him whenever he had a nightmare, tucked him in every night and even told him off thoroughly when he deserved it. Call him selfish but he didn't want to share that version of Sirius Black  
with anyone. He realised at that moment that he was perfectly alright with his friends thinking that Sirius was okay with him doing dangerous acts.

"Come on, we have Transfiguration now. Lets go, we don't want to be late." Said Hermione when she saw all the students vacating the table. The three of them gathered their bags and went off to class.

Transfiguration, thankfully got over quite fast after which they went off for Herbology. Professor Sprout taught them all about mandrakes that day. They made shrill noises and were absolutely disgusting. After Herbology, came the subject Harry had been  
waiting for: Defense Against the Dark Arts.

As the students filed into the classroom, Harry saw Sirius casually leaning against the desk. He smiled briefly at him before asking everyone to take a seat. Sirius introduced himself to the class after which he went over the general warning he had given  
every single batch so far. He received a similar response from the students and so, he began the class.

Even though it was a theory class, the lesson was very interesting. Sirius didn't just stand and pour out a long lecture. He made sure that there was plenty of interaction between him and the students. He went over most of the hexes and jinxes which were  
actually supposed to be covered last year but hadn't been taught. He was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic response that he received from the students. All too soon, the class was over.

"That's it for today. For homework, I want a foot long essay regarding the pros and cons of the freezing hex. Write it in your own words please." He dismissed everyone, happy with the way things had gone.

Harry lingered behind after everyone had left and he approached his godfather. "So Mr. Potter, how was your first defence class?" Asked Sirius using an exaggerated 'professor voice.' "You were simply brilliant, professor." Harry replied, the excitement  
in his voice emphasising the truth behind his words. "Come here you!" Sirius said, pulling Harry into a loose embrace.

"Mcgonagall told me that you have detention tonight after dinner. Don't forget." Sirius reminded his godson after pulling away. Harry grimaced. but he nodded anyway.

"Wonder what we'll be doing tonight. Filch is such a bloody sourpuss, he'll go out of his way to make sure that he tortures us to the fullest for these three hours." Rom grumbled as he and Harry went to the classroom where they were supposed to meet Filch.  
"Well hopefully, it won't be too terrible." Harry voiced his hopes.

It turned out that Harry was right. Their detention wasn't all that bad. Filch led them to the trophy room, his sullen expression firmly in place. Once they were inside, Harry and Ron just stood there, waiting for further instructions. "What are you waiting  
for? Get to work you two." He snapped, thrusting two dusting cloths into their hands.

Harry, who had no little experience when it came to cleaning, began the hot, grungy and tedious work. He started off with the left side of the considerably large room and Ron followed suit.

As Harry polished the dust from a particular trophy, he swept the cloth over it and gasped slightly at the inscription on it:

 _Trophy for Magical Merit:- Sirius Black_

"Blimey mate!" Ron exclaimed, noticing the trophy. "Magical Merit? Percy always talks about how he wants to be awarded one of those. It is awarded to 'distinguished Hogwarts students. Bloody hard to get one though." Said Ron, automatically reciting what  
his brother had drilled into his head repeatedly.

From all the stories that his godfather and Remus had told him, Harry had gathered that his mum, Remus and Sirius had been extremely bright students during their days at Hogwarts. This trophy proved it all. He now understood why Sirius had certain expectations  
from him. He only hoped that he would be able to meet them. He wanted more than anything to make Sirius proud.

As he continued his work, his eyes landed on another trophy: _Special Award for Services to the School, Tom Riddle._ His eyes didn't linger on it for very long and he quickly moved on to the next shield.

After what seemed like forever, the two of them were allowed to go back to their dormitory. Ron let out a relieved sigh as as soon as they were out. "I almost thought that the bloody git was going to keep us there all night." He said, shaking his arms  
to get rid of the soreness. "Ditto. That was one of the longest detentions i have ev-" Harry stopped abruptly and froze midway. He heard it again:

" _Let me rip you, let me tear you, Rip. Tear. Kill."_


	14. Chapter 14: Enemies of the Heir, Beware

**I am so, so very sorry about the long wait. Hope you'll like the chapter!**

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Harry asked Ron. His best friend turned to look at him with a questioning look. "Hear what?"

"That voice. The cold, deadly voice. Didn't you hear it?" Harry repeated, getting more and more worried by the second. Ron looked at him weirdly as of trying to figure out if Harry was pulling his leg or something. "I don't know what you're talking 'bout mate. I hear nothing. You alright?" He inquired.

Why couldn't Ron hear that voice? Maybe he was hearing things? "Yeah I'm fine. Just forget about it." Harry muttered, not wanting to continue on that particular subject. Luckily for Harry, Ron dropped the topic and he was grateful that he was currently with Ron and not Hermione. His inquisitive best friend would have pressed on for more details.

The two of them walked back to the common room in silence after which they went to their respective beds, Ron, who was too tired to talk and Harry,who had a lot on his mind.

Over the next few days, Harry had found himself busy with his school lessons and quidditch practice. Wood worked the team harder than ever, his eyes set on the Cup which they just had to win that year. Before he knew it, nearly a month had passed.

One more thing that had been disturbing Harry for the past few days was that creepy, cold voice. He hadn't heard it since detention that day but it kept ringing in his head. He just didn't know what to make of it.

* * *

Sirius inclined his head toward the left where his godson was asleep in his room. It was nearly time for breakfast by now and so he pushed himself off the sofa and went into Harry's room to wake him up. He walked in to find Harry breathing peacefully, his body burrowed underneath the covers. As he watched the boy's chest rise and fall periodically, he found it hard to believe that Harry was twelve. Truth be told, he didn't look any more than nine years old. It hadn't skipped his notice that his child was nearly a head shorter than his classmates. He mentally vowed to make sure that no further harm came to his charge. He had always thought of Harry as his own son and would continue to do so.

He sat down next to Harry, his back against the headboard and ran a hand through the untameable locks. Harry smiled slightly in his sleep and leaned towards his godfather. "Wake up sleepyhead." He commanded softly as he pulled the covers from Harry, giving him a small shake. "You have classes to attend and I have classes to teach, kiddo."

Harry felt long fingers gently running through his hair. It was comforting and something that he loved. He didn't have to open his eyes to see who it was but nonetheless, he opened his eyes sleepily and gazed up at his godfather. The boy rolled over and rested his head on Sirius' lap, turning to his side and getting comfortable. Sirius let him sleep like that for ten more minutes before he reached forward and playfully tugged on Harry's ear. "You know Harry, if you don't get up quickly, it's highly probable that you'll miss breakfast." It was finally the rumbling stomach that got Harry out of bed. He sat up slowly smiling at Sirius. "Good morning." He yawned widely. "Up and out of bed pup." His godfather ordered once more and kissed the scarred forehead before getting up and opening the curtains in Harry's room.

About twenty minutes later, Harry walked out of his room, bright eyed. "Eat and drink up," Sirius instructed as he handed Harry his daily nutrient potions and his vitamins. He reluctantly popped the pills into his mouth and downed the potions, making a face. He glanced at Sirius, who was snickering quietly at Harry's disgusted expression. "You're enjoying this!" He complained. "Maybe a little. It is highly amusing to watch you make all those faces." Sirius answered.

Harry pouted, obviously put out that he was probably the only person his year who was forced to take these pills. His godfather ruffled his hair and lightly squeezed the back of his neck. "Go on, off to breakfast now."

* * *

Sirius had only two classes to teach that day: second years and fourth years. Harry's batch had gone pretty normally. He had returned the essays to the students after grading them. Most of the students, including his godson had performed well. What had taken the class by surprise was the revelation that the whip-smart muggleborn Hermione Granger had received only an **Acceptable**. Sirius had simply told the flabbergasted girl that her essay was longer than twice the expected length. Secondly, she had written a lot of unwanted information and hence the grade. Hermione had then promised her professor (and herself) that she'd do better next time.

The fourth year class was also pretty much the same other than the slight disturbance caused by Fred and George Weasley's constant whispering. Sirius had spared the two boys a glance but they'd been too busy with their heads bent over a highly familiar parchment. He smirked to himself, deciding to talk to them after class.

Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley, I'd like a word." He told them just as they were about to leave. Fred and George glanced at each other and then at Sirius. "Um... sure, Professor."

"I couldn't help but notice that throughout my class, the two of you appeared extremely busy, pouring over a piece of parchment. I'd like to take a look at it." He began, inwardly smiling. It had taken him one look at the twins to learn that they had quite the penchant for trouble. Almost as much as himself and James. Almost. Fred took out a parchment and handed it to Sirius. "It's nothing at all sir, just a spare parchment."

"I highly doubt that." He took it from Fred and tapped it with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." He said casually. The expression on their face was priceless. Never before had any professor been able to figure out what they were always up to. Not even Mcgonagall. How in Merlin's name did he know that? They could only hope that Sirius would go easy on them.

 _Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map._

"Spare parchment, huh?" He questioned, a small smile playing on his lips as he lightly traced the different names on the map. "H-How did you... you...We...uh... we can e-explain." For the first time in their lives, Fred and George Weasley were at a loss for words. They waited nervously to find out how long they'd get detention.

Sirius merely tapped the map and said: "Mischief managed," folded it and handed it back to them. "Y-You're really giving it back to us?"

"I don't see why I shouldn't. The two of you have been putting it to good use." He replied, giving the two of them a knowing wink. "Keep up the good work." He encouraged. "I won't keep you waiting. I'm sure you'll have other classes to attend so, off you go." Fred stuffed the map into his bag and the two of them made their way to the door. George stopped and asked that one particular question that had been going on in his mind as well as his brother's. "Professor, how did you know how to work the map.

Sirius smiled slightly. "Let's just say that I was very good friends with Moony, Padfoot and Prongs." He answered, taking care to leave the bloody traitor out. "You knew them?" Was the shocked question. "I most certainly did. I'll tell you'll the rest eventually."

"Oh," was all that the twins said in reply to the slightly ambiguous answer. They left after that. Sirius decided that the rest was a story for another day.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to the Quidditch pitch at 6:00 am. Wood had summoned the entire Gryffindor team for practice. It was a routine that had been going on for the past two weeks. Ron and Hermione would sit in the stands while the team trained.

"Alright everyone, we're not relaxing anymore. Nothing can stop us from winning the cup this year. We've got the best team anyone can ask for: two fantastic beaters, three amazing chasers, one hell of a seeker and me. The cup's ours and we shall take it!" Oliver barked, enthusiasm coloured his tone as he delivered his usual motivational speech. "Mount your brooms!" They were about to do just that when the nuisance arrived.

"Hey Wood! The ground is ours to train today!" Harry's head whipped to his left where he saw the Slytherin Quidditch team. Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Oliver Wood stormed towards the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint with poorly concealed anger flashing in his eyes. Damn he hated that snake!

"What the hell do you want Flint?" He snapped as he and the team reached the rival team's spot. "Now now, there's no need to be so rude Wood. I'm sure we can sort this out amicably." He rasped out in his usual hoarse voice. Wood spoke as if he hadn't heard his nemesis. "Why are you here? I booked the pitch for practice today and you know that."

Flint smiled crookedly, revealing his yellow teeth. He reached into the pocket of his robes and fished out a price of parchment and thrusted it into Wood's hand:

I, Professor S. Snape, head of Slytherin house, grant permission to the Slytherin Quidditch team to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.

Wood simply handed the note back to Flint, looking at the rival team with disgust. "Are those the new Nimbus 2001?" Fred's eyes went straight to the shiny, sleek brooms that were firmly clutched in every member's hand. "Yes they are. A gift, from our seeker's father." Adrian Pucey, a Slytherin chaser answered smugly.

"Who is this new Seeker?"

They parted to reveal a highly familiar, platinum blonde. "Malfoy?" Harry and Ron burst out almost together. Harry could hardly contain his surprise. When had he made the team?

"That's right Weasley. You see, unlike some, my father can afford the best." He sneered at Ron. Harry wasn't upset over the brooms. He was far more put out by the revelation that his nemesis had bribed his way into the team. Hermione seemed to share his thoughts as well. "At least none of the Gryffindors bought their spot on the team. They earned it."

Malfoy glared at the Muggleborn-witch. "It would be very much appreciated if you kept your mouth shut you useless mudblood!" He snapped. Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes the moment that vile word had left Draco's mouth. "How dare you say that! You'll pay for that Malfoy. Eat slugs!" It took Ron less than half a minute to hex the pureblooded prat. But unfortunately, thanks to Ron's broken wand, the spell backfired. He fell to his knees with a groan and heaved.

Just as George pulled out his wand to curse Malfoy: "That's enough! All of you."

Sirius had come out for his daily morning jog when he heard all the commotion. He had just heard the Malfoy boy calling Hermione that horrible name. "Fred, take your brother to the hospital wing. The rest of you are to head back to the castle immediately. You'll can resume tomorrow onwards. Take a break today. Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, please stay behind."

After shooting several dirty looks at each other, the two teams went back inside. Harry glared at Malfoy from the corner of his eye, mentally calming himself down. He didn't know what that particular word meant. Sirius had never mentioned it before but one look at Hermione's tear streaked face and Sirius' hard expression, he was sure that it meant something really bad. "Mr. Malfoy, I believe you need to say something to Ms. Granger." Said Sirius, loosely crossing his arms across his chest.

"I'm not apologising to her. I just called her what she is!" Malfoy snapped. "Twenty points from Slytherin. Do I need to repeat myself?"

"I apologise Granger." He ground out as if those words caused him too much pain. "You've just earned yourself detention. Tomorrow evening, 7 o' clock. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir." He mumbled, looking anywhere but at Sirius. "Good. Back to the castle."

Once Malfoy had stormed off, he looked down at the sniffling girl. He recalled the many times Lily had been called the exact same word many a time and he had been her shoulder to cry on, on more than one occasion. Here was another such girl right in front of him. "Hey, Hermione look at me please." She complied hesitantly, wiping her eyes with one hand. "There's absolutely no need to feel inferior or bad about what Mr. Malfoy said. You'll find scores of people like him along the way. You're a brilliant student Hermione. Don't let anything or anyone change that. Do you understand? You're an amazing person and that's what matters. Okay?"

His words had the desired effect on her and Hermione offered him a slightly teary smile, nodding at him. "You're right Professor. Thank you." Sirius only offered her a large grin and allowed them to go back to the castle.

That day after lunch, Ron was released from the hospital wing. Although he had been cured completely, he was still bloody mad at Malfoy. He went on about how he wanted to burst into the Slytherin common room and hex him. He had however been elated when he heard that Malfoy had been assigned detention by Sirius. 'Your godfather has earned my permanent respect mate!' was what he had said.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione had just finished dinner and were heading back to their dormitory when Harry heard it again.

" _Rip... Tear... Kill"_

He stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all his might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.

"Harry, what're you — ?"

"It's that voice again Ron. The one I heard a couple of weeks ago."

"s _oo hungry ... so long._.." Harry strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, he heard the voice: ". . _. I smell blood. . . . I SMELL BLOOD!_ "

"I think someone's in danger. It's going to kill!" Harry shouted. Ron and Hermione stared at each other and then at Harry like he was mental. He followed the voice as it kept getting louder and finally stopped short in front of a wall. His eyes widened with horror as he stared at the angry red writing on the wall:

"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED,

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE!"

"W-What's that?" Ron whimpered, the quiver in his voice evident as he pointed towards something below the writing.

As they edged nearer, Harry almost slipped — there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash. It was Mrs. Norris, Flich's cat.

"I say we get out of here right now. Trust me, we do not want to be found here." Said Ron but alas, it was a wee bit too late. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students.

An angry yell ripped out of someone's throat, braking the stunned silence. There, standing at the beginning of the corridor, with an anger and angst marking his face was none other than Argus Filch.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was having a horrible day. He regretted calling Granger a mudblood for one major reason: he was currently scrubbing the floors of the classrooms on the third floor with a toothbrush! He remembered the warning Black had given regarding prejudiced comments but he hadn't known that the Professor had actually meant what he had said. This truly was his worst detention ever. He wiped his forehead and flexed his arms. He felt like a bloody house elf!

Sirius was sitting at the desk, when he heard an enraged shout. He frowned slightly. "Mr. Malfoy, I think that's enough. You're free to go." It didn't take the blonde boy more than ten seconds to bolt out of the classroom after a brief nod at Sirius.

* * *

Swiftly rising from his seat, the animagus made his way toward the source of that sound.

"My cat! My cat! What happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked and just as luck would have it, his popping eyes fell on Harry.

"You!"he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll —" Harry drew back and flinched as the caretaker glared at him hatefully.

"ARGUS! That's enough!"

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket, his eyes losing their twinkle as he saw the red writing on the wall. "Prefects, you'll will escort the students to their respective dormitories. Mr. Potter, you shall stay behi-"

"What's going on here?" Sirius demanded, entering the hallway. He took in the sight in front of him: the message on the wall, all the professors gathered in one place, students exiting the hall in a hurry, Filch's murderous expression and Harry's stricken look.

"Wha' happened is dat your bloody godson killed my cat!" Filch spat, glaring at Sirius. "Sirius I swear I didn't do anything! Please, you have to believe me." Green eyes locked with grey, pleading innocent. Sirius' gaze softened as he looked at the distraught boy.

He then turned to Filch, his eyes hardening from a pleasant silver to a steely grey. When Sirius spoke, his voice was soft but deadly. "Let me get something straight here. I will not have you accusing my son for absolutely no fault of his. I will let it slide this one time but know this: the next time you- anyone says anything remotely unfair about Harry, you will be sorry."

It wasn't an idle threat and the caretaker as well as all the professors and seemed to realise it. The boy who lived finally had someone to protect him.

Dumbledore was the one who broke the uncomfortable silence. "Professors, it's been a long day. I feel it's best if we continue this matter tomorrow. I wish you all good night." He turned around and left without another word.

One by one, all the professors cleared out until Harry and Sirius were the only ones left. Harry couldn't wait any longer. "Sirius I swear, I had nothing to do with it." He said, once more. "I know pup, I believe you."

Harry offered Sirius a weak smile and wrapped his arms around him. "What's this for kiddo?" He asked, pleasantly surprised at the sudden hug. "No reason."

They needed to talk but this wasn't the place.

* * *

Once the two of them were reached Sirius' quarters, the man took his godson by the shoulders. "Tell me everything Harry." The words weren't a request.

Harry told Sirius about all that had happened after dinner. He left out the part where he heard the voice in the corridor. By the time he was done, Sirius had pursed his lips into a thin line, his expression grim. He couldn't help but feel as if something was missing. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

Harry bit his lip, thinking of what to say. He so badly wanted to tell Sirius about the chilling voice that he kept hearing but he just couldn't bring himself to spill everything. "No, nothing else." He lied, feeling worse than ever. It hasn't escaped his notice that Sirius had called him his son in front of all the professors. He had been overwhelmed with emotion when he had heard that. Sure, Sirius was his father in every aspect that mattered but until now, Harry never knew that the man felt the same way. He felt completely horrible for lying to the man who had become his father.

The Animagus looked down at the forlorn face and decided not to push him any more. Things weren't okay as of now. He knew more about the chamber of secrets thanks to his upbringing and it wasn't a pleasant topic at all. He'd do what he had to keep Harry safe but he'd deal with everything as it came. For now, a good night's sleep would do both of them a lot of good.

"Well in that case, I suggest that you get some sleep. You have a big day ahead and I'm looking forward to watching you catch the snitch tomorrow." Sirius answered, trying to lighten the mood, although his smile was genuine. He really was waiting for tomorrow's Quidditch match. He'd seen Harry fly many a time and it had taken him five minutes to realise that his boy was an even better flier than James. He had absolutely no doubt regarding who would win the match.

"Goodnight pup, I love you." Sirius said, gently propelling him towards his room. Once Harry was all tucked in and alone, he gave in and said what he had been wanting to say to Sirius since the past couple of weeks. He just wasn't brave enough to say it to his face. So for now, he was content with saying it softly, when no one was around:

"I love you too Dad."


	15. Chapter 15: Unpaid Debts

**I'm opening a slot for one shots. I'm planning to make a separate book of just one shots. The ones where Harry lives with Sirius. It can be anything right from sick Harry to him getting in trouble, or whatever you'll like. You'll need not be extremely specific, a general idea will also do.**

 **Just message your requests to me and I'll select the best one and have it uploaded ASAP.**

 **Okay, so here's the next chapter and it's slightly longer than the ones I've written so far. Some of you'll might find Sirius' reaction a little too harsh as you'll read the chapter but I personally feel that's how he'd react. Harry means the world to him. He's bound to get overprotective.**

 **For all those of you who like reading angry/ powerful Sirius, this one's for you. Enjoy!**

* * *

Harry stood next to Wood and took a deep breath. This was it. They had been training vigorously for the past few days for this match. Wood had worked the team hard and everyone had done so without a word of complaint. The entire team wanted to win the cup this year, more than ever before.

"We can do this. Just focus on what we've been doing since the past couple of days. We are going to win this." Oliver said in a low voice.

The doors were thrown open and the entire Gryffindor team walked into the pitch, head held high and nervousness well hidden. There was a huge round of applause and cheering from the stands as the seven players entered. If any of the students had been shaken by last night's events, then it certainly didn't show now as they screamed their lungs out in pitch.

Harry turned his head in the direction of the Professors' stand and saw Sirius. The man gave him his trademark wink and a wide smile. All the best, he mouthed the words to his godson. Harry smiled back. It was a half nervous smile though. He could do this. He had to win this. He wanted to make Sirius proud and that's exactly what he would do today. The apprehension dimmed a little, replaced by determination.

The Slytherin team entered the pitch and the Slytherin stands erupted with cheering but the response from the other three houses was greatly underwhelming.

"Captains, shake hands." Madam Hooch ordered. Wood and Flint glared daggers at each other before nearly crushing each other's hands. Harry saw Malfoy giving him a dirty look and immediately returned the favour. There was no way he was losing today's game.

"Mount your brooms!"

Harry straddled his broom and kicked off forcefully from, the ground, feeling the familiar rush of excitement. The other players did the same.

Hooch released the quaffle and blew her whistle. "Let the match begin!"

Harry flew higher, higher than anyone else, his eyes squinting around for the snitch. Malfoy followed him closely, doing the same. His eyes darted around everywhere before he saw it.

There it was, the pesky little object was nothing more than the slightest glimmer of gold. It was hovering above Adrian Pucey's head. He dived down sharply, whizzing past George who was determined to whack a bludger into Flint's head.

Harry felt a rough shove against his left shoulder as Malfoy pushed him with his. He narrowly missed hitting himself against a pole. "You alright there scarhead?" He sneered before flying past Harry, having spotted the snitch himself.

Harry zoomed after Malfoy, trying to overtake him. Every now and then he heard Lee Jordan hollering, his voice carrying through the Quidditch pitch.

"IT SEEMS POTTER AND MALFOY HAVE SPOTTED THE SNITCH!" Lee Jordan, the commentator yelled.

"AND THERE GOES GRYFFINDOR CHASER KATIE BELL AND YES! SHE SCORES!" The crowd cheered, scarlet and gold banners waving furiously as they screamed with excitement.

Gryffindor was currently leading with 80-50. All Harry had to do now was catch the snitch. Steadily, the other chasers from both houses also scored goals.

He had lost the snitch again and his eyes roamed the air wildly, trying to spot it. His eyes landed on Malfoy, who had apparently seen the snitch. With a sharp tug of his broom, he dashed after him. The two of them went shoulder to shoulder, pushing and shoving each other. They dived, went left, right and everything else.

From the stands, Sirius watched Harry's various twists and dives with pride. Malfoy junior wasn't all that bad either. He seemed to be nearly keeping pace with Harry. It was a good game.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucius Malfoy sitting straight and tense, his pale face was drawn tightly as he observed the two seekers.

The whole crowd watched with bated breath as two semi-blurred figures of green and scarlet flew with their hands outstretched. Anything could happen as of now.

Suddenly, the snitch shot upwards and Harry, being the better flier jerked his handle upward sharply and with one swift grab, he captured the snitch firmly within his hand.

"HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS WITH TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY POINTS!"

There was moment of silence before almost the entire pitch erupted with shouts of admiration and applause. Sirius leapt to his feet and clapped, harder than ever before as the students chanted 'Potter!' over and over. He decided to let his friends and team congratulate Harry before going over and doing so himself.

The Slytherins jeered but they were barely audible though. Once everyone had voiced their cheers, Sirius made his way to his godson.

"That was some flying there kiddo." Harry's head turned around to see his godfather standing behind him. Harry threw his arms around Sirius' waist and hugged him with all his might, not caring that his friends were watching. "I'm so proud of you pup. You were absolutely brilliant out there." Sirius said and it was the complete truth. "Thanks Sirius." His voice was heavy with emotion as he took in the pure happiness on Sirius' face. He'd do anything for that look of unadulterated euphoria. "I'll see you later. Okay?" Harry nodded and watched as Sirius left and the pitch emptied out.

He was just about to leave as well when he bumped into someone. "Mr. Potter, we meet again." Harry looked up to see Lucius Malfoy glaring down at him disdainfully. "Strutting about the place are we?"

Harry forced himself to remain quiet. He wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of getting to him. When Malfoy got no reply, he taunted him further. "Quite the insolent one, aren't you, just like your pathetic godfather."

That was the last straw for Harry. Nobody was allowed to say one bad word about Sirius. He looked the blonde patriarch dead in the eye: "Neither is my godfather insolent, nor is he pathetic. I think you've confused him with yourself, _sir_."

Malfoy lost his sneer at that. He stepped closer to Harry, grabbed his upper arm in a vice like grip and yanked him closer. Harry tried to wrench himself free of Malfoy's hold but he couldn't. the momentary flare of his temper had vanished now, replaced by the sense of helplessness and fear that was all too familiar to Harry. Lowering his face till they were facing each other, he snarled at Harry: "You do not want me as your enemy Potter, otherwise you shall meet the same sorry end your parents did."

He felt tears prick his eyes due to the severe grip on his upper arm plus the digs at his dead parents but there was no way in hell that he was going to cry in front of Malfoy. All the professors had gone back to the castle so he couldn't even shout for help.

After what seemed like forever, the haughty man released his grip, gave Harry one last disgusted look before walking away with his robes billowing behind him. Harry took a deep breath and forced the tears down with great difficulty. He wouldn't cry. His arm was still throbbing but he wouldn't let it affect him. He'd faced worse injuries before.

He stood there for a little more, in the empty pitch, a little shaken before deciding to go up to meet Sirius. He really wasn't in the mood for a party in the common room anymore.

As he climbed inside, Harry schooled his features before looking at Sirius. He didn't want his godfather to know that something was wrong. Once he was sure that he wouldn't give anything away, he stepped inside the room.

* * *

Sirius didn't have any classes to teach that day so he was totally free. "Hey kiddo," he greeted as he heard Harry climb through the portrait hole.

As Harry came in, Sirius casually held out his arm, beckoning Harry towards him and his godson complied almost immediately. He threw his arm around Harry.

Harry leaned into Sirius' side, burying his face in the man's shirt. Sirius, totally oblivious to his pup's bruised arm, lightly jostled Harry's arm and the latter winced harshly.

Sirius frowned at this. He was sure he hadn't been hard in the least. "Pup, did you hurt yourself during Quidditch?" He asked, worried.

Harry froze at that. "No." He replied, a little too quickly. He should have known better than to assume that he'd be able to hide his wound from Sirius. "I'm fine Sirius." Harry lied. He'd been doing a lot of that lately and honestly, he was starting to feel a bit pathetic.

"Let me see it." Sirius stated. "It's nothing Sirius, really." Harry tried one last time. "Well if its nothing, I don't see why I can't take a look at it. Now Harry."

With a sigh, Harry pulled off his robe and held out his left arm. Sirius rolled up Harry's shirt sleeve and there he saw it: right there, on Harry's upper arm was an angry mark of a red hand, circling the thin bicep. It was slightly swollen as well.

"Who did this?" Sirius surprised himself with the amount of rage in his voice but as of now, he couldn't care less. He wanted nothing more than to find that filth who had done this to his son and rip their throat out. Whoever had the gall to do this, was going to pay. Heavily.

"Harry, who was it?" Sirius asked again, barely controlling his temper.

Harry knew that there was no getting out of this. Maybe if he kept quiet for a really long time, Sirius wouldn't push him. He was well aware that his guardian would go ballistic when he found out who had done it. He didn't want to make a big deal of it. "Harry James," Sirius' tone had turned impatient now.

"It was Lucius Malfoy." He finally blurted out.

Sirius saw red the moment he heard the name slip out of Harry's mouth. How dare that bloody bastard! If he knew Malfoy well, there was more to this story. "What else did he say?" He forced the words out in a somewhat calm tone although his hands were itching to beat that arsehole to a pulp.

As quickly as he could, Harry narrated the entire incident. Part of Sirius was touched by the way Harry had defended him but the other major half was fuming.

He knew that he was too angry now and if he did anything rash, Harry would become the recipient of his anger and that was the last thing he wanted.

He took a deep breath and counted to ten in four different languages. Once sufficiently calm, he summoned some ointment. Wordlessly, he gently took hold of Harry's arm and dabbed the salve on that particular area. The slight flinch from the boy only added to his anger.

Sirius had felt anger, fury and rage many a time in his life but presently, he was purely livid. Malfoy was going to pay. But now, he had to calm down.

Ten minutes later, he was sufficiently calm to speak without yelling.

"Don't worry pup, it'll get better." Sirius soothed, once he had finished applying the salve. "Thanks." Harry replied.

Now that Harry's wound had been taken care of, it was time for plan payback.

* * *

"Ah here it is!" Remus exclaimed, pulling out an old parchment from the huge pile of dusty books and letters. He handed the letter to Sirius who opened it with a rather evil smile.

His eyes skimmed the letter, his smile widening as he went through it. "So, how much does it come up to?" Asked Remus looking rather curious himself.

"30 billion galleons." Sirius replied, looking like Christmas had arrived early.

The two of them were currently in one of the many rooms of Black Manor, plotting revenge against Malfoy. They had come up with several ideas when Sirius had remembered something.

His father had spoken on several occasions about how the Malfoys were in debt. It had all started with Nicholas Malfoy. He had borrowed money from the Blacks, his descendants had followed his footsteps but no one had borrowed as much money as the current Malfoy head.

Although he wasn't like his family, there were some traits that had been invariably passed on from his father. Sirius was ultimately a Black and the Blacks were known for their absolute ruthlessness towards those who dared to cross them. Although 30 billion galleons wasn't that large a sum for Sirius, it was more than ten times Malfoy's net worth.

Sirius knew that Malfoy would never be able to repay the debt even if he sold all his houses, businesses and gave up his assets. He would definitely be out on the streets. Now, Sirius wasn't that cruel. He wasn't going to demand the entire sum. He'd just send out a little warning to make sure that Malfoy would think not twice,but a thousand bloody times before harming him or his godson.

"How much of it are you going to exact?" Remus didn't know about the entire plan. Just bits and pieces.

"I'm not sure."

"You're really going to make him pay, aren't you?" Although it was a question, Remus already knew the answer. Sirius was a very good person but you simply did not get away with messing with him. He almost pitied Malfoy. Almost.

The man deserved every bit of the disaster coming his way. Not just for the way he had manhandled Harry, but also for the way he had treated those less privileged than him.

"You must come with me to the castle for dinner. Harry'll be glad to see you." Sirius offered, knowing that his godson liked the genial werewolf.

"I'd come but the full moon is two days away, Sirius. You know how grumpy I can get. I don't want to be around Harry at such times." He reminded his friend.

"Fine. But I won't be accepting any excuse next time onwards." Sirius quipped.

Remus left after a while and Sirius went back to Hogwarts. Harry wasn't there so he figured that the boy had gone to his dorm. He decided to put the plan into action and pulled out some parchment and quill and began to pen a letter to Lucius Malfoy.

Once done, Sirius signed the letter and grinned in satisfaction. This would certainly shake Malfoy. He went over the contents one last time before attaching it to his owl's leg and sending it off.

* * *

Malfoy Senior drew in a deep satisfied breath as he sat in his study at Malfoy Manor and sipped his firewhiskey. He was feeling rather content with the day's events. Although his disappointment of a son had embarrassed him in front of hundreds of students by losing the game, he had had the pleasure of putting the Potter boy in his place.

He was about to take another sip when an owl soared into the room and landed on his desk. It was no ordinary owl. It was an Eurasian eagle owl- very expensive and very rare. He knew of only one person who owned such an owl. His doubts were confirmed further when he saw the Black seal on the letter.

What could the man want with him?

He detached the letter from the owl's leg and opened the letter:

 _To: Lucius Malfoy,_

 _Head of House of Malfoy_

 _You are requested to read the parchment attached to this letter with utmost care. Kindly follow the instructions mentioned and no consequences shall have to be enforced._

 _Lord Sirius Black,_

 _Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black._

His previous mirth left him as he finished reading the letter. He pulled out the folded parchment and opened it. Merlin! What the bloody hell did this mean?

30 billion galleons! He couldn't bloody repay such an enormous sum. He had until tomorrow noon to pay the first instalment of 500 million galleons. There was no way he could return that sum without losing all his wealth and more.

He had always known that his family was in debt to the Blacks but he had never known that the sum was this large. No, he wouldn't pay. He'd go tomorrow to Hogwarts at noon and give Black a piece of his mind!

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in a bedroom in the Defence quarters playing exploding snap or trying to play rather. "Ronald, you need to finish Professor Sprout's mandrake essay. You hadn't done it last time either." "Hermione will you give it a rest? I'll do it later." Ron answered exasperatedly.

Sirius couldn't help but smile as he heard the exchange. Definitely like them. There was a persistent, angry knocking on the portrait and smirked. He knew exactly who that was. He erected a privacy ward in the room before opening the door.

"What's the bloody meaning of this?" Malfoy demanded by way of greeting as he stormed inside, past Sirius, angrily waving a parchment in Sirius' face.

"I take that you're not illiterate Malfoy and have read the contents of the letter. It is exactly what it says. Judging by your behaviour, the first 500 million galleons haven't been deposited in my account?" Sirius asked, his voice as casual and calm as though he were inquiring about the weather.

He took a seat on one of the armchairs, his right ankle resting on his left knee. He didn't bother inviting Malfoy to take a seat.

"No it hasn't and it won't. You better get that straight!" Sirius appeared unfazed by the rude remark. The warning he had given to Malfoy in Diagon Alley hadn't had much effect on the man. "You know Lucius, for someone who's in a lot of financial trouble, you are certainly showing a lot of disrespect."

"I asked you to pay up but you haven't and so now, you'll bear the consequences. As you know, I own sixty percent of the prophet. It won't take more than a letter from my side to have your 'good name' tarnished or your businesses torn down. All that shall be taken care of by the end of tomorrow."

The threat was informally put forth but all the colour drained from Malfoy's face. "Y-You wouldn't do t-that." His voice had lost the arrogant sneer by now.

"Try me Malfoy. Just you try. You'll see for yourself." Sirius drawled. Sitting in the armchair, looking completely at ease, a malicious smile on his handsome features, he looked far from the carefree Marauder everyone knew. Right now, he looked every bit of the Black lord few had encountered and were left utterly terrified. It was a side of him few people knew.

"W-Why are you doing this?" Beads of perspiration had gathered on his forehead. He was now sure that Black would go to all lengths to ruin him. It was no secret that Blacks were known to be merciless towards those who stood against them.

"I'd given you a warning the last time regarding staying away from my godson. I'd made myself clear and yet the bruise on his left arm suggests otherwise. I don't know what made you do it and frankly, I don't care, but now, it's time for you to pay the piper."

Malfoy mentally cursed himself. How could he have forgotten about that! So that's what all this was about. He didn't feel so smug about hurting the Potter spawn now.

"Your son's got quite the mouth on him. Your doing I assume." Sirius went on stating numerous offences in a very offhand manner but his eyes were deadly. "If I were his father, he'd not even dream of speaking like that to anyone. But then again, it's not entirely his fault. You're the one to blame. Like all the other things I've just said, it's your mistake and so now you'll pay the price for it. Literally."

"I-I can't pay that." Malfoy said, arrogant tone now pleading. "Not without landing myself on the streets." He couldn't even repay the first instalment let alone the entire sum.

"Well, you should've thought about that before harming my son." Sirius replied, his expression neutral. "Well, since it is clear that you are unable to repay the debt, I'll have to resort to other measures. You know, make sure that you don't ever think of something like this again. You're free to go now."

"W-What will you d-do?" Asked Malfoy, his face deathly pale.

"That's for me to know and you to dot dot dot."

The platinum blonde was stuck. He had to extract himself from this situation. He looked at Black who was sitting comfortably, at ease. He wasn't looking at him right now, he was thumbing through a magazine. Slowly, he reached into the inside of his robe sleeve and took hold of his wand. No one would have to know about what happened. But even before he could pull out his wand completely, it flew out of his hand and into Black's outstretched palm.

"You really thought it would be that easy did you? Non payment of debts, attempted attack on the Head of your family? My, my you've really gotten yourself into a fix haven't you?" Sirius hadn't moved from his easy position. All he had done was mentally utter an 'expelliarmus' and the wand had flown out of Malfoy's hand. He always had been rather skilled at wandless as well as non-verbal magic.

His last weapon was gone as well. He was truly defenceless as of now.

"Please, I'm begging you. Let me go. If you insist on having the money, I'll be more than ruined. I'm willing to do anything you ask. I'll stay away from Potter forever, I'll keep Draco in check as well."

Ah. Now they were getting somewhere. "Your promises won't help you now but may be of some use to you in the future. Like I said, you're free to go now."

He wouldn't even look at Potter again, that was for certain. With a defeated sigh, he left, knowing fully well that the next few days wouldn't be good for him.

He couldn't have been more right.

* * *

 ** _UNPAID DEBTS?_**

 _Lucius Malfoy has been quite the influential personality over the last decade. The several 'donations' that he has made to various departments of the ministry have helped in development. But what if there was more to this story?_

 _It was discovered only yesterday that Malfoy, who is considered to be one of the richest wizards in Britain has a huge collection of unpaid debts, lined up and waiting. It's not just him. This debt is way overdue. It's all began nearly 400 years ago with Nicholas Malfoy who started off by borrowing 60,000 galleons from Aries Black-I. The sum grew over the centuries as all of his descendants followed his footsteps. Now, finally the sum has expanded to an immense, unimaginable amount of 30 billion galleons! Hard to believe that the Malfoys are in debt to the Blacks and that they always have been!_

 _Well, isn't this the perfect example of don't judge a book by its cover? Who would've thought that the Malfoy tree had such weak roots?_

 _Lucius Malfoy remains stubbornly quiet, refusing to shed any more light on this topic. His shameful behaviour only further reveals his true character._

 _Keep reading for more!_

"Blimey Harry, can you believe this?" Ron asked, waving the paper in Harry's face. The mentioned boy looked equally stunned. "I know right, who could've known?"

They looked over to the Slytherin table but Malfoy wasn't there. "He's probably too ashamed to show his face. This is great don't you think? Now Malfoy won't be throwing his weight around anymore. Serves him right I say." Ron looked ecstatic.

"Ron, that's not very nice. You can't just say things like that about someone." Hermione admonished in her usual manner. "Whatever 'Mione."

"I don't think people are going to stop talking about this any time soon." Said Harry and boy was he right.

A week passed and although the discussion of the topic 'Malfoy Debt' reduced, it never settled down completely. Draco had stopped acting like a prat but maintained a sullen expression all the time.

"So, what you'll saw was the stunning spell. We'll be performing it in the next class. Dismissed." Sirius wrapped up his class with the fifth years. No sooner had the students shuffled out, closing the door, the door of the class room burst open and Professor Mcgonagall walked in (nearly ran) hurriedly, followed by Sprout and Flitwick. Dumbledore wasn't there with them.

They seemed to be relieved that the students weren't present. One look at their faces and Sirius immediately knew that something was wrong.

"What happened?"

"Another student has been petrified."


	16. Author's Note

**I've made a separate book of just one shots. The ones where Harry lives with Sirius. They're totally random.**

 **Two stories in the one shot collection had been published. Please do take a look. I hope you'll like it. If you'll want me to do more of them, all you'll need to do is message! Requests are always welcome.**

 **I'm working on the sixteenth chapter of this book and hopefully, I'll try and have it uploaded soon.**

 **Here's a little excerpt from the story:**

Sirius heard something fall in his room. Frowning slightly, he went inside and was greeted by the most adorable sight on the planet. Harry Potter, his six year old godson was dressed in his clothes. The navy blue robes were far, far too big for Harry, the boy didn't know how to wear a tie so he'd simply slung the red tie around his neck. Sirius' shirt trailed along the floor as Harry walked, along with the robes. He trousers were so lose that Harry had tied another one of Sirius' ties just to hold them in place. He'd even slipped into his godfather's black shoes which were so big that he had to drag his feet to keep them from coming off.

Unable to contain himself, Sirius burst out laughing. This was truly the cutest thing ever.

Harry turned when he heard the laugh. He smiled sheepishly at Sirius. Shanking his head at his godson's antics, the man crouched down to Harry's eye level. "And who might you be, young sir?" Sirius asked in an overly formal voice.

"This is senior Auror Black." Harry had heard Sirius say that many times when he'd come to meet his godfather at work. The imitation of the deep voice was too much for Sirius. He burst out laughing. "Well sir, I've been looking all over for my godson Harry Potter but I can't see, to find him. Do you know where he is?" Sirius asked, trying to suppress his laughter as he played along with his boy.

Putting on an extremely serious expression, Harry spoke: "I'm afraid Harry is very busy right now. Would you like me to convey a message?"

"Well, I was wondering if he would be willing to accompany me to Florean Fortescue's. They've launched this new flavour of ice cream. I had told Harry I'll take him there but if he's busy, that's al-"

* * *

 **Once again, please, please, pretty please with a Bertie Bott's every flavoured bean on top, check out the one shots. R &R!**

 **Love you loads!**


	17. Chapter 16: Christmas

**Here's the next chapter. It was supposed to be out during Christmas but I just couldn't resist. Please R &R. I really appreciate it. Once again, any one shot requests and I'll be delighted. Enjoy!**

* * *

The atmosphere of the room became significantly colder at that. Sirius wasn't sure what to say. "Severus has taken him to the hospital wing. We're not exactly sure about how to cure him." Mcgonagall said, her face taut with worry.

"Who was the student?" Sirius inquired. "Colin Creevy." Sirius searched his mind for the student of the given name and easily recalled the first year Gryffindor who had followed Harry for quite a few days since the school had reopened. Sirius had had quite a laugh back then.

"I think we should warn the students and we need to make sure this doesn't escalate into something any bigger. Where's Albus?" Asked Sirius.

"He's in the hospital wing as well."

"Fine. Please do keep me updated." Sirius answered, clearly tensed. The professors nodded, before showing themselves out of the classroom. This was so not good. He knew a lot of things about the Chamber of secrets and unsurprisingly, none of them were pleasant.

* * *

"Students, quiet down please! This is an important announcement." All the students settled down at the razor sharp voice of their Head of House. Harry looked at Mcgonagall's face, wondering what was so urgent. "There have been certain events at Hogwarts recently. Only today, Colin Creevy, your fellow house member was found petrified."

There was a sharp gasp from the students. "We don't know what caused this or why this has happened. Unfortunately, in light of this event, you'll will not be allowed to stay back during Christmas vacations. You shall return after the break. Until the holidays, lessons shall continue as per the normal schedule. For safety measures, no student is to be left alone in the corridors, at any time, under any circumstances whatsoever. Further details shall be given to you later."

Everyone hung on to every word Mcgonagall had just said, absorbing the information. To say that Harry was stunned was an understatement. This incident further made it clear that it would be best if he told Sirius about the voices that he had been hearing. He knew that Sirius would be less than pleased with him if the man found out that he was hiding things from him.

"I'm going to bed," he suddenly announced to his two friends. "But it's only 8 o'clock, Harry." Said Hermione, looking worried. "I'm tired 'mione. I'll see you'll tomorrow." That wasn't a complete lie. For some reason, his head was aching a bit. He picked up his books and went off to meet Sirius. He decided to spend the night there instead of his dorm.

As he climbed the staircase, he made up his mind to tell his godfather everything. He didn't want to hide things anymore. He had done a lot of lying and he was pretty sure that if he kept up with this charade, he'd get his mouth _scourgified_. He did not want that happening.

* * *

"Hey, pup." Sirius greeted as Harry walked in. His smile however faded the moment he saw the look on the boy's face. He looked quite pale and he was pretty sure that his godson hadn't had dinner or lunch that day. Something was not right here and Sirius wasn't going to rest until he found out. But first, dinner.

He gestured Harry over to the living room sofa and called for some dinner. "I'm not hungry, Sirius." Harry protested but the look from his father was enough to get him to eat. So, with a resigned sigh he picked up his fork and started to shovel chicken salad into his mouth.

After he had eaten, he threw his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. He felt long fingers stroking his hair and relaxed slightly. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

Harry's eyes shot open and he looked at Sirius who was sitting in front of him. Did the man really know him so well? "Promise you won't get mad?" He asked in a small voice.

"I can't promise that pup. But I can promise to hear you out completely. You need to trust me and tell me what's been bothering you. I can't help but notice that you haven't been eating properly. I can't have you slacking off when it comes to your health. I won't allow you to do this to yourself. You need your strength. Even your grades are falling." Sirius paused for a moment. "Tell me what's going on Harry."

It wasn't a request. "I've been hearing these voices lately." He confessed. Sirius's face grew concerned at this. Leaning forward so that he could get a better look at the boy's face that was bowed, he steepled his fingers. "Continue."

"It started a few days after school reopened. I heard it on my way back to the dorm after Ron and I were walking back from detention. It was a very cold, chilling voice...I heard it again the day Filch's cat was petrified."

Throughout his explanation, Harry kept his gaze firmly on the carpet, not wanting to meet Sirius's eyes. Firm fingers took hold of his chin, tilting his face upwards. Harry mentally cringed when he saw the stormy expression on Sirius's face. Definitely what he had been expecting.

"All this started nearly two months ago and you're telling me everything now. Why?" Sirius inquired sternly. Harry dropped his eyes. "I didn't want to stand out as the freak." He whispered, feeling horrible.

He hadn't told Sirius about it because he didn't want to feel like the biggest freak on the planet. He had talked to Ron and Hermione about the mysterious voice and they had told him that it wasn't normal to hear things, even in the Wizarding World. So did that make him a freak? Of course it did.

"Pup, why on earth would you feel that way? You're. Not. A. Freak. Do you understand that?" Sirius asserted.

The boy remained stubbornly silent, refusing to acknowledge the words and seeing the emotions fly across Harry's face, Sirius's expression softened. Whatever this was, it was serious. "Did you hear the voice again after that day?" When Harry shook his head, Sirius remained silent.

He'd read several things about the Chamber of Secrets but he had never come across any voice. Absolutely nothing. He decided to go and take a look in the Black Library later and see if he found anything.

But now, he needed to see to his godson, his own son rather. One look told him that his pup most certainly wasn't alright. Quelling his anger, he reached forward and gently hoisted Harry off his seat and pulled him into his lap. The boy responded by wrapping his arms around Sirius in a death grip, tucking his face into the crook of Sirius's neck.

"You're not a freak. Absolutely not. I don't care what your relatives told you but you are most certainly not a freak." Sirius stated once again, resolutely, daring Harry to contradict his words. After what seems like ages, he felt Harry nod against his neck. "We'll figure out the cause of these voices. Don't you worry."

"At the end of the day, of doesn't matter that you're the Boy-Who-Lived. Not to me. You're just a boy, my boy and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. We're going to be alright. Everything will turn out fine."

If only Sirius knew how wrong he was.

* * *

After that day, things didn't get better, they only got worse.

Nearly a month after Colin Creevy was petrified, another student was attacked. Justin Finch-Fletchley, a second year Hufflepuff was found petrified in the fifth floor corridor, along with Nearly Headless Nick.

Susan Bones, another Hufflepuff had told the Professors that the second years had finished Herbology and were heading to their Potions lesson. Justin had realised that he had forgotten his homework back in the Hufflepuff common room. He had told his friends to go on and he went to fetch it.

The next time they saw him, he was lying on the floor, on the fifth floor.

Mcgonagall was furious at this blatant disregard for school rules. Despite repeated warnings about not wandering off alone, the boy had gone off by himself. Further restrictions were placed upon the students and the rules became more rigid. All classes after six o' clock in the evening were canceled.

Sirius had practically scoured every book in the Black library for any information about strange voices but nothing turned up.

Harry and Sirius had gone to Dumbledore and had told him about the voices but even the wise headmaster had been at a loss. Finally, the matter was dropped. Dumbledore suggested that they wait it out and see what happened next.

"I don't know what to do, Ron." Harry grumbled. He had heard the voice again that day and it was driving him crazy. "I thought it would get better but its not. I keep hearing it every now and then." He confessed to his best friend.

Ron looked at his best mate sympathetically, not really sure about what to say. "This is not good. Harry is hearing voices and students are getting petrified. These two events have to be connected in someway, correct?" Hermione pondered aloud.

"Right. You can sit and think all you like later on, 'Mione. Its nearly dinner time and I don't want to be late. My stomach's rumbling." Ron stated firmly. Inspite of himself, Harry smiled slightly. Typical Ron, always hungry. Trust his best mate to cheer him up in the weirdest of ways. "Fine, lets go."

On their way, on the first floor, they heard someone sobbing hysterically. "Who could that be?" Hermione asked. "It could be a student but I'm hungry!" Ron grumbled. Harry pulled out his wand and followed the direction of the cries, ignoring Ron's protests. Seeing no other option, the two of them followed Harry.

The crying got louder as they neared the girls lavatory. Ron stopped short when they reached the entrance. "There's no bloody way I'm going in there." He retorted. "Quit being such a baby Ronald. No one comes in here anyway. This is Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." Hermione assured him as they went inside. For some reason, the place was all wet. "Whose Moaning Myrtle?" Ron questioned.

"I'M MOANING MYRTLE!"

They looked up to see a girl or a ghost actually, glaring down at the trio. She was wearing Hogwarts robes, her hair was tied in two ponytails and she had worn round framed glasses. "Come to throw something at me again have you?" She snapped, looking more sad than angry. "Why would we want to do that?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Don't ask me," Myrtle shouted, emerging with a wave of yet more water, which splashed onto the already sopping floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me. . . ."

"But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," said Ron, reasonably. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?"

He had said the wrong thing. Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked, bringing her face close to Ron's. "Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha, ha, ha! What a lovely game!" She bit out sarcastically.

"Where's that book now?" Harry looked at her questioningly.

"It's over there, it got washed out. . . ." Harry and Ron looked under the sink where Myrtle was pointing. A small, thin book lay there. It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom. Harry reached forward and picked up the wet book.

"Who threw it at you anyway?"

"I don't know. Now get out!" She snarled, her anger returning with full force. Not wanting to stay any longer, the three of them waded out of the flooded bathroom. "Well, that was... something." Harry said, tucking the diary into his bag. "There' a rumour that she died in this very bathroom and that's why she haunts the place." Hermione whispered, not wanting the ghost to hear her. Harry shivered involuntarily. Not pleasant at all.

Ron looked at his watch and groaned. "Damn it! We missed dinner!"

* * *

"That's all for today. No homework this time. Any questions." Sirius asked as he finished his lesson with the second years. Hermione's hand shot up into the air. "Yes Miss Granger?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us something about the Chamber of Secrets." Sirius remained silent at the odd request. Of course, he did know quite a bit on this matter and it wouldn't hurt if the students just knew the story behind it. He complied to Hermione's request.

"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago — the precise date is uncertain — by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

He paused a bit before continuing.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

"That's all to the Chamber of Secrets. Nothing else is known as of this day." At that, the class broke out of their temporary trance before shuffling out of the classroom.

* * *

Harry and Ron climbed the portrait hole to Sirius's quarters after dinner. Sirius had allowed Ron to stay back with them that night so the two of them could have fun. Besides, with everything that was going on, it would do Harry good to get his mind off things.

"Sirius!" Harry called out, setting his bag down on the sofa. "In here, little one." Sirius called back from his room. Harry's ears turned a deep shade of red as Ron snickered at the nickname. "Shut up!" He hissed, not angry in the least but embarrassed. Sure, he liked Sirius's various names for him but Ron didn't need to know all of them.

Sirius came outside and noticed his son's embarrassment and smiled slightly. "Go on and enjoy yourselves, you two." He said. The boys didn't need to be told twice.

They pulled out the chessboard, exploding snap, chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts beans and a whole lot of other candies. Sirius joined them for a few games of Snap as well. Although Harry ate a little too much candy for Sirius's liking, he chose not to comment about it. It was great to see his pup laughing after so many days.

Dinner was also fun. "So you see Ron, I had gone to James's house to look after Harry when said one year old thought it would be amusing if he-"

Harry's eyes widened when he realised which story this was. It was so embarrassing! There was no way Ron, or anyone for that matter could know about this. Before Sirius could continue any further, he all but jumped out of his seat and clamped his hand over the man's mouth. "Nothing happened, Ron." He said loudly.

"No, what happened was that Harry decided-"

"Nothing happened!"

On Harry's pleading stare, coupled with an adorable glare, Sirius spared his boy and the three of them laughed it off. After dinner, Harry and Ron resumed their game of chess while Sirius dealt with some lesson plans for the upcoming week.

Finally, at twelve thirty, Sirius was greeted by two very sleepy boys. Ron had fallen asleep on his spare bed and was snoring peacefully while Harry had curled up on the bean bag instead. With a fond smile, Sirius picked up his little green-eyed bundle and tucked him into his bed.

Christmas vacations began a week later. Hermione and Ron went home along with the other students since they'd weren't allowed to stay back. Harry however stayed back since Sirius was a professor. For the last few days, there had been no talk or incident about the Chamber of secrets and Harry couldn't have been happier.

This would be his first proper Christmas with Sirius and he was really looking forward to it. The two of them were currently decorating the tree together. "And this goes right here." Said Sirius, hanging up a yellow bobble. The man let Harry hang up the star, feeling both happy as well as sad when he saw the look of wonder on his pup's face for such a small thing.

The clock struck eleven and Sirius opened his mouth to send Harry to bed but the boy beat him to it. "I think it's time you go to bed young man." He quipped, imitating Sirius's words quite well.

Sirius was momentarily stunned before he barked out a laugh and caught Harry in a headlock, rubbing his knuckles against the messy black head. "Why you cheeky little rascal!"

Sirius let Harry go after thoroughly tousling his already unmanageable hair. "Off to bed with you!" He ordered with a playful swat to Harry's backside. The boy gave him a sleepy smile before making his way to his room.

The next morning, Harry awoke first which was surprising and so he decided to go and wake Sirius up, something he wouldn't have dared to do a few months ago. He tiptoed to his father's room, a mischievous smile on his face.

He opened the door, as quietly as possible and crept inside, toward the bed. The man had his back facing Harry and so with a deep breath, he pounced, ready to tickle the man awake. He wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Sirius turned to face Harry just in time, sat up and caught the boy. He turned him around and pulled him close so that Harry was resting against his chest. He laughed softly, ruffling Harry's hair. "How did you know I was here?" Harry asked, his voice was a mixture of curiosity and mock indignation. "I'd be ruining all the fun if I told you, right?"

"Merry Christmas pup," Sirius whispered, kissing his pup's forehead. "Merry Christmas, Sirius." Harry replied. The man stood, pulling him up as well. "Come on."

Harry's jaw dropped, the moment the two of them entered the living room. The Christmas tree had looked splendid last night but this morning, it was truly magnificent. Under the tree was the largest pile of presents he had ever seen. Brightly coloured parcels wrapped with different ribbons and strings.

Seeing Harry's expression, Sirius threw his arm around the boy's shoulders, tugging him closer. "I know it seems a little too much but I have eleven years to make up for, kiddo."

"You didn't have to do this for me, Sirius." Harry said, feeling rather overwhelmed by all these presents. "I know that. I wanted to do it for you."

With a gentle nudge, Sirius propelled Harry towards the tree. "Have at it pup. The tree won't bite you."

He sat down on the carpet and reached for a present. With fingers trembling with excitement, ever so slowly, Harry undid one corner of the wrapping paper. He did the same with the other side, taking care to not tear the wrapper even one bit. That's how it continued for over the next hour. Harry would pick up a present and open it almost reverently, breakfast long forgotten.

By the time he was done, he had a whole new collection of books (from Hermione and Remus), clothes and a broom servicing kit. Other than four or five if the presents, the rest were from Sirius. The gifts were all wonderful but what mattered most was the sentiment. "Thank you." He murmured for the nth time. "You're welcome, son."

Now, although Sirius had referred to Harry as his son on several occasions, it never ceased to bring a smile on the boy's face. He'd been orphaned for so long . Harry didn't even remember James despite all the stories he had heard. His Aunt and Uncle had hated him and had gone out of their way to mistreat and belittle him. For the past so many years, he had actually been craving for someone who would be there for him. Someone who would hold him tight and tell him that he was a good boy, someone to tuck him in every night was and tell him that they loved him and were proud of him.

The last few months had been amazing for Harry. He finally had that someone who would always be there for him. Sirius was absolutely brilliant. He couldn't have asked for anyone better. Truth be told, Sirius was the only father Harry had ever known.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." He announced suddenly, running to his room.

He pulled out the wrapped package from under his mattress. He could only hope that Sirius would like it. Feeling slightly nervous, he walked back to the living room.

"This is for you." He mumbled, holding out his gift to Sirius, feeling shy all of a sudden. With a wide smile, Sirius accepted the package and opened it.

It was a framed picture but it wasn't anything ordinary. It was a picture of Harry and Sirius clicked from a magical camera. Sirius remembered the day quite well. The two of them had gone to Hogsmeade that day. They'd eaten at the Three Broomsticks after which Sirius had asked Rosmerta, the owner of the Inn to take the picture.

Sirius had his arm around Harry's shoulders while the boy had thrown his arms around the man's waist. Both of them were laughing. On the bottom of the frame was a tiny inscription in Harry's handwriting:

 _Padfoot and his Pup._

Sirius gently ran his finger over the messy scrawl, a smile etched on his handsome face. As he ran his hand along the back of the frame, he felt a piece of parchment graze his fingers. He turned the frame around and gently detached the small bit of parchment and opened it.

Sirius's breath hitched when he saw what was written on it:

 _Merry Christmas Dad,_

 _I love you._

- _Harry_.

Sirius looked at his pup who was sitting only a little away from him. He reached out and pulled the young wizard into a tight hug. "I love you pup."

"I love you too, dad." Harry whispered. He had never felt happier before. This truly was the best Christmas of his life. After a minute or two, Sirius released the boy and smiled down at him.

"Come now, lets grab some breakfast after which everyone will be coming over. Best get ready quickly. That sounds good kiddo?" Sirius asked as he hoisted his son off the floor.

"It sounds great dad." Harry replied, using the new title with pride. And really, it was great.

* * *

The day was absolutely wonderful. Later, Ron and the twins came over, as did Remus. Everyone exchanged greetings, ate cake, opened Christmas crackers and presents.

Sirius took in the look of pure happiness on his son's face and knew that despite everything that was going in in the castle, they'd get through it.

After lunch, once everyone had gone back, Harry threw himself on the sofa with a contended sigh. Christmas had turned out even better than he had imagined. He'd spent the day with his friends and his father. That's what mattered most.

"So Pup, you ready to leave?" Sirius asked, as he pulled on his coat. "Absolutely." Harry replied, pushing himself off the couch.

And with that, the two of them left the castle for a night full of movies, popcorn, bike rides and completely fun and senseless chatter between father and son.


	18. Chapter 17: The Assault

**Some of you might have felt that Harry started addressing Sirius as 'Dad' a little too early but I personally felt that it was the perfect time. Like I mentioned in the previous chapter, he never remembered having a father before. Besides, in my story, Sirius is everything that Harry ever wanted in a parent so it is natural that he looks up to Sirius as his dad.**

 **Canon Sirius didn't get a lot of credit. This is my own portrayal of his character. In the books, if his name had been cleared and he would have adopted Harry, I can pretty much imagine him behaving the way the Sirius in my story does.**

 **Ok people, hope you'll like this chapter.**

* * *

"He actually got sealed in?" Ron asked for the third time. "Yes Ron, he was sealed in." Harry replied. He hadn't ever mentioned what his Uncle had done to him throughout his childhood but this was a particularly funny one. He was telling Ron and Hermione about the visit to the zoo and how Dudley had ended up on the other side of the glass.

Ron had been openly laughing away but Hermione looked thoughtful. She hadn't said a word during the little story. "You can speak to snakes." She mused out in a hushed whisper. "You're a parselmouth." She continued.

"Blimey mate! She's right. How is it that you can talk to snakes?" Ron asked, his expression was a combination of awe and confusion. "I don't know. I bet lots of people can do it." Harry defended. He was starting to get a little uncomfortable with the way the two of them were looking at him.

"No Harry, they can't. Parseltongue is a very rare... gift. It's associated with the dark arts. There are very few known wizards and witches whi can speak it. You-know-who was one of them." Hermione elaborated cautiously. She searched Harry's expression for any sign of anger, fear or anything else but the boy's face remained neutral.

Harry felt sick. He was like Voldemort. What if he started hurting people? What if he became evil? He wasn't evil, he just wasn't. He couldn't be.

He looked at Ron who didn't have anything to say while Hermione was frowning intensely like her brain was running at a thousand miles per hour. "Come on, lets get to potions. The last thing I need is a detention from Snape." Harry tried to steer the conversation away and fortunately, it worked. The three of them gathered their books but all the way to the dungeons, although Harry and Ron talked quite a bit, the bushy haired brunette didn't utter a word. Her mind was miles away.

During potions, Harry finally lost his temper. He had tried his utmost to keep his anger at bay but Snape had been particularly harsh and continuously taunted him, making snide remarks whenever possible. "Honestly Potter, you seemed to have surpassed all levels of stupidity. Your skills are deplorable. Absolutely useless." Snape provoked, loud enough for the Slytherins to hear. They snickered away at the boy's expense.

He hovered over Harry's potion, sniffing at it disdainfully. With a flick of his wand, the cruel professor banished the contents of Harry's cauldron and turned on his heel. "Bloody git." Harry mumbled, not quite softly and as luck would have it, Snape heard him.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor you insolent brat." Snape snapped at him. "Stay after class, Potter. I'd like a word." Harry forced himself to remain silent. He couldn't afford to land himself into anymore trouble with his wretched potions professor.

At the end of the class, once everyone had left, he approached Snape's desk and stood in front of it. "For that little display of your unnecessary arrogance, I expect you to write me an essay on the ingredients, uses and side effects of the Girding potion. Do you understand or are you so thick skulled that you are unable to decipher the simple meaning of my words? I trust you to apply that unused brain of yours." With clenched teeth, Harry forced the words out. "Yes, sir."

"Now get out."

* * *

Sirius was sitting in his room on his bed, back against the headboard when he heard a small knock on the door. "Come in."

He smiled when he saw Harry come inside. "Hey pup. How was your day?" The boy didn't reply but instead he climbed into bed and leaned against Sirius's side.

"Dad, am I evil?" Sirius froze at the unexpected question. Whatever had made Harry think that? "No, pup. You're most certainly not evil." Sirius replied. "But I can speak to snakes and Hermione said that Voldemort could do that as well." Harry looked distraught and was desperately looking at Sirius for reassurance.

Sirius knew about this particular ability that his son possessed. The boy had told him about it over the summer. He looked at the unconvinced expression on Harry's face and tried a different approach. "Harry, do you think I'm evil?"

Harry temporarily forgot about his own concerns when he heard that question. He stared at Sirius, as if the man had done barmy. He deeply respected Sirius and vaulted his opinion above anyone else's. He found it impossible to believe that his father could be remotely evil. "Of course not dad!"

"But my family was very cruel, heartless and merciless."

The boy frowned at the mention of Sirius's family. His father didn't like talking about his parents or his childhood but Harry knew enough about them to deduce that they weren't the kind of people one would like or talk to (understatement). But, Sirius wasn't like the rest of his family. He was totally different.

"That doesn't mean your a bad person. Dad, just because your family was vicious, doesn't mean you are too. You're one of the best, kindest, and the most brilliant person I know. You're. Not. Evil." Harry asserted.

Sirius smiled and wrapped an arm around the thin shoulders. His pup really did have a heart of gold. "Exactly my point, kiddo. Just because you share a certain trait with Voldemort, that doesn't mean you are like him. You can never be like him, son. You're you." Sirius consoled Harry.

"Remember, I'm right here okay. If there's anything you want to talk about, come to me. Don't worry your head about it." The man said, ruffling his boy's hair. "Thanks dad." Harry replied.

His father was right. He wasn't like Voldemort, not one bit. He'd been so stupid to think otherwise. He smiled sheepishly at Sirius before tackling him with a hug.

"Anything else?" Harry paused before answering that question. He contemplated whether or not to tell Sirius about what Snape had said and finally decided against it. It was no secret that the Animagus loathed Snape so the last thing he wanted was for Sirius to go and threaten or hex the potions master. Besides, he _had_ called Snape a 'bloody git' so it wasn't _totally_ Snape's fault.

"No, nothing. Hey dad, can I go flying now?" Harry asked, hoping that Sirius would say yes. Sirius glanced at his watch. It was nearly 10 o'clock. With everything that was going on around the castle, it was too risky. "You can, but you may not." Sirius spoke firmly, leaving no room for argument. Harry's shoulders sagged slightly but he didn't protest. He knew that once Sirius made his mind up about something, there would be no point in trying to convince him. "Fine." He mumbled, with exaggerated exasperation, earning a chuckle from the older wizard.

* * *

"Mr. Weasley, when I ask you to pay attention, I expect you to do as such." Mcgonagall barked when Ron was unable to answer a question since had been busy talking to Dean Thomas. "Five points from Gryffindor. Pay attention and eyes on the board." She said sternly before resuming her teaching.

Normally, whenever a professor reprimanded Harry or Ron, Hermione would be quick to express her displeasure as well but his time she didn't even look up. Although she was looking at the board, her mind was a million miles away.

After the class, they had a free lesson. "I'm going to the library." Hermione announced. She went to the library more than any other student but over the past few days, she spent nearly ninety percent of her time with her nose buried in thick books. "I'll come as well." Ron stated, not because he wanted to study but he was hoping that he would be able to wheedle the smart muggle born into helping him with his herbology essay. "You coming mate?"

Harry shook his head. He had to go back and finish Snape's essay before he could work on any other subject. "I'll see you'll at dinner." He responded and took off in the direction of the Defence chambers. He had quidditch practice the next and he didn't want to miss it just because he had been unable to complete Snape's work. He had another Potions lesson tomorrow and the sooner he got done with the essay, the better.

He climbed the staircase to the seventh floor and arrived at the corridor that led to his destination.

 _Rip. Tear. Kill. I'm coming for you. To torment you. To kill you._

Harry stiffened the moment he heard the words. Panic gnawed at his insides. The last time he had heard this voice, things hadn't gone well. Not in the least. He looked around and cured his luck. Not a single person was about. The boy quickened his pace, trying to reach the end of the corridor as soon as possible but the voice just kept getting louder and harsher.

 _RIP! TEAR! KILL! You cannot escape!_

 _I WILL GET YOU. NO MORE RUNNING, NO MORE HIDING FROM ME. I will KILL you!_

Harry felt hopeless beaches there was absolutely nothing that he could do, other than run. There was no way he would be able to outrun this voice. It was too late.

He felt a sharp blow on the back of his head and as he fell to he ground, losing consciousness, a searing pain erupted down his back. The last thing he felt before he slipped into a state of unconsciousness was an inordinate amount of pain rippling all over his upper still, unconscious form just lay there, with blood oozing out through the material of his robes and a throbbing ache in his head.

* * *

Minerva Mcgonagall crisply marched around the castle, doing the mandatory security rounds that had been assigned to every professor. Her wand was out, ready to take down any obstacle or enemy she might have to face.

As she made it to the top of the staircase of the seventh floor, she caught the distinct smell of blood. Something was majorly wrong. Holding her wand up, with a Stupefy on the tip of her tongue, she cautiously made her way towards the source of the smell.

She nearly screamed when she saw it. Mcgonagall had seen a lot in her fifty eight years but all that experience did not prepare her for the sight that awaited her.

Harry Potter, was lying on his front, on cold marble floor, his arms and legs spread haphazardly. The small pool of the crimson liquid that surrounded the boy made her feel dizzy. She looked around for any sign and there it was, in big, bold, red letters:

 ** _And I shall continue._**

Mcgonagall shook herself and hurried over to Harry. The message could be interpreted later but first, she had to see to the inert student. She encircled the thin wrist with her fingers, checking for a pulse and was relieved to find one. It was a little weak but it was still there.

Mcgonagall conjured two patronises. She sent the two patronuses with a single message. One to the Headmaster and the other to a certain Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. The two silver cats dashed off in different directions.

Dumbledore arrived first since. His eyes lost their ever present twinkle when he saw everything. "Things have gone too far, Albus." Mcgonagall said. The headmaster remained silent, thinking about the last time the chamber had been opened.

The two of them waited in the darkness for the third person to arrive.

* * *

Sirius had finished dinner and was heading back to his quarters. He hadn't seen Harry at dinner and was a little worried. He hoped everything was alright.

In the dimly lit corridor, he caught a flash of silver rushing towards him. When it got closer, he saw that it was Minerva's patronus. He immediately knew something was wrong.

The cat stopped right in front of him. "Seventh floor corridor, come quick."

Sirius didn't bother to think, he briskly climbed the stairs, two at a time. The knot of worry in his stomach was growing by the minute.

Of all the things that could've gone wrong, never in his dreams had Sirius imagined that he would have to face such a day. He found Mcgonagall and Dumbledore on the seventh floor but he didn't bother to acknowledge them. His eyes went straight to the immobile body lying in the pool of blood.

 _Harry_.

Sirius knelt down in front of his pup and gently turned the boy over, his fingers trembling. No, no, no! This couldn't be happening! Not to Harry. He felt the bile rise in his throat when he saw all the blood that Harry had lost. The other two professors didn't say anything and for that, he was grateful. The only sign that his son was alive was the sound of his ragged breathing. Sirius heard it, thanks to his Animagus skills and it brought an infinitesimally small amount of relief to his mind.

He hadn't felt this devastated even in the night James and Lily had died. No, this was a whole new level of misery. _Pull yourself together, Black_. Sirius mentally chided himself. He couldn't afford to be weak now. He had to be strong, Harry needed him. He could host his own little pity party afterwards.

As gently as he could, so as to not cause further injury, Sirius lifted Harry into his arms. He didn't care about the blood that soaked the front of his robes. Cradling the small form against his chest, he swiftly went off to the hospital wing, Dumbledore and Mcgonagall right behind him.

The man set his son down on one of the many unoccupied beds in the Hospital wing. "Poppy!" He called out sharply, trying his best to keep the panic at bay.

The mediwitch had been sleeping when she came out to greet the source of the voice. Madam Pomfrey took one look at the distraught look on Sirius's face and the bleeding boy on the bed. She immediately got to work. Questions could be asked later.

With a swish of her wand, the robes and uniform disappeared, leaving the boy in just his pants. She muttered a series of spells under her breath. The bleeding was stemmed after which she started cleaning the wounds. There was a deep gash running down all the way from his shoulder blades to his lower back along with numerous small cuts. Once she had completed the cleansing, madam Pomfrey bandaged the cuts, taking care to not aggravate them any further.

Throughout the procedure, Sirius simply stood quietly, taking everything in. His heart had plummeted when he had seen the extent of the damage on Harry's back.

Pomfrey came up to him, her face tense. "How bad is it?" Asked Sirius and was surprised by how hoarse his voice sounded. "Mr. Black, the wounds on his back are quite serious. He's lost a lot of blood from that deep bruise. Its a knife wound. Thankfully, his head injury is not a major concern. There has been no brain damage since he lost consciousness only due to a blunt force. I'm afraid that Mr. Potter will have to stay here for at least a few days. Other than that, there's nothing else to worry about."

Pomfrey hurried off to talk to Dumbledore, leaving Sirius alone with his boy. Sirius conjured a chair and sat down by Harry's bed. He was lying in his stomach. The man sighed dejectedly as he took in his twelve year old's appearance. Harry was pale due to the blood loss, his back was covered with bandages and lying on the large bed, he seemed to appear even smaller than usual.

Sirius gently ran his fingers through his pup's hair. Oh pup. This wasn't supposed to happen, not to Harry.

The old mediwitch approached him with a few potions. "Here's a blood replenishing potion. Make sure you give it to him every three hours once he has regained consciousness. Also see to it that he does not apply any pressure on his back. It will only cause more pain. He also needs to take this potion every twelve hours for the next six days. He'll be back on his feet in no time." She have him a reassuring nod before going back to bed.

Now that the initial panic had dissolved, Sirius felt the worry return. How could this have happened? He looked at the sleeping child and nearly cried. He had come so close to losing Harry. His boy would get better, Sirius would see to that. He would do whatever was needed but he'd make sure that his son was okay.

Sirius looked around and saw that Dumbledore and Mcgonagall had left. He relaxed into the chair, closing his eyes briefly. He wouldn't leave Harry alone. "You'll be alright, little one."

* * *

"I. Said. No." Sirius spoke firmly, glaring at the headmaster. "Sirius, please try and understand what I'm saying. I need to speak to Harry so that we can understand what caused this. Surely, you care for the boy enough to allow me find out the root of this cause.

"Don't you dare try to manipulate me into this Dumbledore. Harry can speak about whatever happened when he is strong enough. There is no bloody way I am allowing you to carry forward with that vile plan of yours."

Dumbledore sighed internally. He didn't know how long it would take for Harry to regain consciousness. He did not want to wait that much and so he had asked Sirius of he could look into the boy's mind and find out what had happened. Dumbledore knew better than to try anything on Harry without his guardian's consent but the man had staunchly refused.

"If you would only let-"

"My mind's made up, Albus. I will not allow you to use legilimency on Harry. Absolutely not. This is what I want. Try anything behind my back and you'll regret it."

Dumbledore looked at his former student and saw the anger, worry, and frustration outlining his face. He decided to let it go. He hadn't expected things to go this way but there was nothing that he could do about it. "Very well Sirius. As you wish."

* * *

Harry's head hurt. It felt damn heavy like he'd been trampled upon by a herd of elephants. His back felt worse. It hurt like hell. He hadn't felt this degree of pain ever before, not even when Uncle Vernon had caned him to the point of unconsciousness. To top it all, he felt bloody exhausted.

Summoning every bit of energy, he cracked an eye open. He was in the Hospital wing, lying on one of the beds. His dad was right there, resting in a chair by the headboard. Harry turned around so that he could sit up and immediately regretted it. He let out a hiss as his back made contact with the mattress. He returned to his original position on his stomach.

Sirius awoke at the slight noise that disturbed the quietness of the hospital. His eyes landed in Harry who was staring back at him, large green eyes blinking owlishly. He leaned forward and stroked the boy's hair. "Hey, how is it?"

"It hurts." Harry whispered and Sirius felt his heart break. He knew that his pup always underplayed things so if he was actually telling him that it hurt, then Sirius could only imagine the level of pain Harry must be experiencing. "I know pup, I know."

"Do you want to sit up?" When Harry nodded, Sirius got up and helped him sit up. Harry winced slightly but he relaxed as comfortably as he could, against the many pillows. The man held out the blood replenishing potion to his son.

Harry took it without protest, grimacing at the sour taste. Once the required potions had been taken, Sirius settled back into his chair. "So, how long do I need to stay here?" Asked Harry, hoping he could get out maybe today or tomorrow. "Well, Poppy says that you need to be here for at least the next couple of days."

"But I'll miss so many classes." Harry tried. He really didn't mind missing his lessons but the didn't want to stay cooped up over here. The hospital wing was just so boring. "That's perfectly alright. I'm sure your friends will fill you in whenever they come and visit you. I'm not taking any chances, Harry. You scared the hell out me last night." Sirius said, looking at him.

Harry felt guilty. He had never wanted to worry his father. "I'm sorry dad. I didn't mean to scare you." Grey eyes looked at him. "Don't you apologise pup. You had no control over what happened. I'm just thankful that we found you." Harry looked at his dad, his eyes glistening. He wanted to hug Sirius and never let go but his current condition prevented him from doing so. Instead, he settled for taking the man's hand.

Sirius lightly squeezed Harry's hand before standing up. "I've got a class right now. After that's done, we'll eat lunch together. Okay?" Harry didn't want the man to leave but he nodded anyway. Sirius picked up on the boy's thoughts and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back soon kiddo. I promise."

* * *

"Okay."

Two hours later, Ron and Hermione came to see Harry. "Harry!" The boy looked up from his Quidditch magazine to see his two best friends looking at him worriedly. "Hey." He said. "You gave us quite a scare mate." Ron commented. Hermione nodded in agreement. "We were awfully worried, Harry. Professor Black told us."

Harry smiled at the two of them. He really had the best of friends. "I'm a little better now, I swear." It was true. His back still hurt a lot but at least his head wasn't throbbing. Instead it had settled down at a dull ache.

"I got you your homework for the day." Hermione said, placing a rolled up parchment in Harry's lap. The boy groaned dramatically.

The three of them talked for a bit. Neither Ron nor Hermione brought up the issue as to how Harry had hurt himself and he was grateful. He didn't want to talk about it, at least not right away.

Shortly after the two of them said goodbye and left, Sirius came back. He ruffled the boy's hair before settling himself in the chair. They are lunch together, chatting pleasantly. Sirius avoided the discussion completely. They could talk once Harry felt better. "I got you some clothes from your wardrobe. I figured you'd rather wear these than the hospital gown." The man held up a pair of pyjamas and a t-shirt.

Sirius helped Harry to put them on. The boy's face turned red. He was twelve years old for Merlin's sake and he couldn't even dress himself! He had to rely on his father for something so small.

"Dad, this is so embarrassing!" He mumbled, dropping his gaze. Sirius laughed lightly at that.

"This is embarrassing? Just wait till I show you that picture in which you were running around the house, absolutely starkers."

"Dad, I really don't-"

"Or when you wore a diaper on your head and danced around-"

"Dad stop-"

"The best one was when you threw-"

"Dad! You're not helping!" Harry burst out. He wasn't angry, not one bit. In fact, he was actually feeling better. Trust his dad to cheer him up using the weirdest of ways. "You do realise that it is part of my job description to embarrass you whenever possible. Especially in front of you friends." Sirius said, smirking at his son.

Harry tried to frown but couldn't contain his smile. Yup, his dad was the best.

"Good afternoon, Harry. I hope you are feeling better." The two of them turned around to see Dumbledore approaching them. The boy nodded. "I'm alright now, sir."

The old man smiled at him. "My dear boy, I was hoping you would be able to tell me about what happened the other day. What was the last thing you remember?"

Harry gave the headmaster all the details right from his trip to the Defence quarters to the blow on his head. By the time he was finished, Dumbledore looked grim while Sirius was nothing short of furious. He now realised how close his son had come to dying.

"Is that it, my boy?" When Harry nodded, Dumbledore left after wishing Harry a speedy recovery.

"Rest for a while now. I'll see you later." Sirius said, getting up. He had one last class to each that day after which he was free to spend the remainder of the day with his son.

* * *

Four days later, Harry was released from the hospital wing and none was happier than him. Sure, his dad had spent a lot of time with him and Ron and Hermione had visited whenever they could but it had still been terribly boring. To sit there all day with no one other than the bossy Mediwitch.

"How are you now?" Sirius asked, probably for the fifth time that day. "I'm fine, dad." Harry replied, rolling his eyes to appear annoyed but he was secretly pleased with all the affection. His father had been quite overprotective of him over the past few days and although Harry had made a big show of being unhappy about it, he had relished every bit of it.

"Turn around, pup." Sirius said and Harry complied. The man pushed Harry's shirt out of the way and undid the bandages. He applied the salve as per Pomfrey's instructions, taking care to be as gentle as he could. The wound was healing but it was slow. The gash had been a very deep one and had it gone any deeper, it would have caused serious harm to Harry. "You'll get better." He said although it was more of a reassurance for himself than Harry.

Whoever had done this, was going to suffer. It seems as though everyone was after his son. First Malfoy, and now, whoever it was who had played the dirty game.

Sirius ran a hand through Harry's hair and walked out of the room. He would keep Harry safe. They would get to the bottom of all of this. It would all work out.

The worried father chanted these lines in his head before sleep overtook him.

* * *

 **So, how was the chapter?**

 **Who attacked Harry? Only time will tell...**

 **Me- Cackles mysteriously and walks away.**


	19. Chapter 18: In Trouble

"Hermione, not now. I'll do it later." Harry protested. The girl had been after him all week, insisting that he complete his homework. He still had a few days before he could go back to classes and Hermione felt it would be best if he were up to date with all his work.

The boy didn't agree with this. After being freed from the Hospital wing, he had been holed up in Sirius' quarters for the past few days. He was bored to death but that didn't mean he had to do his homework to fight the boredom. Hermione sniffed at him disapprovingly but didn't push him any further.

Instead, the three of them played exploding snap for a while. They were all enjoying themselves but Harry's fun ceased the moment Sirius came into the room, floating a tray of the boy's potions. "Ugh! Again! Dad, can I pleeease take them before bed instead? That way, I'll be asleep and won't have to feel their horrible taste in my mouth for the next hour. Pleease?"

"Certainly not. You're taking them now and not a minute later." Sirius said firmly. This had become a routine between them. Harry always tried to persuade Sirius to grant him some reprieve from those horrible medicines but his dad was immovable.

Ron and Hermione had become accustomed to this little banter between the two of them. They were the kind of simply natural moments that made one think that Sirius had raised Harry since his infancy. The two of them promised to meet Harry later before going off for classes.

"You either take these on your own or I'm more than willing to shove them down your throat." A few months ago, such a statement would have had Harry quivering fearfully but now he just laughed and accepted the potions from Sirius.

"Fine, I'll take them. But only because you're the world's greatest dad. And you're the most stubborn person I know." The man felt touched by Harry's words but he simply rolled his eyes and gave his pup an affectionate wink.

* * *

Three days later, Harry was finally ready to get back to his lessons. He'd taken Hermione's advice and had completed his homework. Classes continued in full swing and Harry had a lot to cover up. He didn't hear the creepy voice after the incident and for that, he was utterly thankful. The only lesson he did enjoy those days was Defence against the Dark Arts.

"So when are we getting back to Quidditch practice?" Harry asked George; when all of them were sitting in the common room. "Oh, you don't know, mate? Quidditch's been cancelled for the rest if the year. Mcgonagall' orders. Said it wasn't safe to play anymore. Wood was furious."

Great. Just great. The one thing he was looking forward to was gone. With a sigh, he slumped in his seat, looking more forlorn than ever. "Tough luck, mate. We're all equally miserable." Fred sympathized with him.

Harry went up to his dorm to put his books away when he saw something sticking out from his trunk. He reached forward and pulled it out. It was that diary he had found all those days ago. He'd completely forgotten about it. Just out of curiosity, he flipped it open. Written in tiny gold print on the right hand corner of the first page: _Tom .M. Riddle._ He'd heard that name somewhere. He simply couldn't recall where.

A week or so after resuming classes; the whispers started. He began noticing the changes a few days later. Students talked in hushed voices wherever he went. It was nearly impossible for him to remain at a certain place for more than fifteen minutes. They looked at him like he was some sort of abomination and it bloody hurt.

All sorts of rumours were spread about him. It was the same old story everywhere. "Potter's a bit on the freaky side." "Why wasn't he petrified like the others?" "He was just attacked. That's weird." "Did you know he can speak to snakes?" "Yeah. Apparently, he attacked his muggle cousin once." "What if he's the one behind all this?" "He attacked his family! Merlin knows what he's capable of."

That's what he heard always, those days. When he had told Ron and Hermione about the incident at the zoo, Ron hadn't been soft enough and quite a few students had heard him. Soon, the whole school knew that he was a parselmouth. One thing led to another and before he even knew what was going on, he was being blamed for all the unfortunate happenings at Hogwarts.

Harry felt miserable. Hogwarts had been his very first home. He'd never do anything to harm the place or the people in it. Why were they all targeting him? What did he do to deserve this?

"I wonder who he's going to hurt next." The sentence was whispered but Harry heard it. It came from the Hufflepuff's table. He had enough of it. There was no way he could sit and listen to them anymore. With a frustrated sigh, he slammed his textbook shut and shoved it into his bag. He shouldered his bag and stormed out of the Great Hall, not bothering to look back.

Harry reached his room and angrily flung his bag on the bed before flopping down on the floor and bringing his knees to his chest. Why couldn't he be normal? How long was this going to continue? The way the talked about him, it bloody hurt. In a fit of anger, he picked up the nearest book and hurled it across the room with a yell. He was so mad.

He had a Defence class in ten minutes but he didn't want to go. To sit there and listen to everyone murmur about him was just too much. Harry couldn't sit there knowing that he was the main topic of conversation amongst students. He just couldn't. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and buried his face in it, wanting to just disappear for a while, to get away from everything that was going on.

* * *

Sirius came back to his quarters at the end of the day. He went straight to his room to change. When he came out, he saw a book thrown across the hallway leading to Harry's room. Frowning slightly, he picked up the book and went into the boy's room.

Harry was slouching on the floor, his head tucked into a pillow. The man settled down next to his pup, gently pulling the pillow from his grasp. Harry looked up and Sirius's heart broke at the sight. His son's face was red; his eyes were bloodshot like he'd been crying.

"What's wrong puppy?" He asked nestling Harry in his arms. "I hate it, dad. I absolutely hate it." The boy whispered, his arm going around the man's stomach. "They all hate me. I didn't do anything to them but they still hate me." Harry narrated the entire thing, leaning into his dad.

"You didn't do anything wrong kiddo." Sirius consoled the distraught child, feeling a pang of sadness in his chest. Harry's situation was all too similar to the one he had been in, at the beginning of his own first year.

Most of the students were afraid of him or disliked him because of his family background. The Blacks, after all were the pioneers of the dark arts. The students' opinion of him had changed gradually after a month or two when they found how different he was from the rest of his family and before he knew it, he was the most popular student in his year. Boys wanted to be _like_ him while girls wanted to be _with_ him.

"They're all wrong, pup. They will realise their mistake soon and that I can guarantee." Sirius said. "How can be so sure?" Harry looked so miserable at that moment. "I just do pup. You're not wrong and you've done nothing bad. That's that."

"But-"

"No buts Harry. They will come around. I know that." Sirius' words were reassuring. "What concerns me is how all this is affecting you." The man continued, looking at Harry with concern. The bags under the boy's eyes were a little too prominent. It was clearly evident that he hadn't been sleeping properly. "You haven't had a goodnight's rest in a while. When was the last time you just hung out with your friends and did absolutely nothing? You've been hurting yourself Harry, albeit unknowingly. I won't watch you do this to yourself."

Harry's gaze dropped to the carpet when his father looked at him sternly. "You're being far too hard on yourself Harry James. That stops now. What's happening around the school is not your fault. The students who are blaming you- that's not your fault either. You know that and I know that. So, you need to stop working yourself up over this. They will come around and see sense. Now, when are _you_ going to start seeing sense? Hmm?" Sirius scolded gently, running his fingers through the untamable mop.

"Here's what you are going to do for the next couple of days. You're going to invite Ron and Hermione over as frequently as you can. The three of you are going to enjoy yourselves and have fun. You will play snap, chess or whatever it is that you want. You'll focus on your studies and not on the rubbish around you. You're going to eat properly and I will make sure you do. If I find you're not eating or that you are skipping meals just to avoid students, I'm going to take a spoon and feed you every one of your meals. Are we clear?" Sirius lifted Harry's chin to look him in the eye. He had meant every word of what he had just said.

"Yes, sir." Harry responded as his eyes conveyed that he understood the seriousness behind his father's words and he would do as told. "Good. Because if I come to know that you've been doing anything but taking care of yourself, I'll transfigure your ears into an elephant's." Sirius threatened jokingly, as he gently pulled one of the boy's ears.

Harry giggled slightly at the mental image of him roaming around the castle with large elephant ears sticking out from the sides of his head and that's when he realised that he already felt better. It never failed to amaze him as to how even a small conversation with his dad made him feel loads better.

"Don't worry, you won't have to. I'll make sure to play lots of games and eat tons of candy." Harry promised with a cheeky smile. Laughing, Sirius ruffled his son' hair. "Good lad. Now get to bed. You don't have classes tomorrow and so, if I see you out of bed before nine, I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and haul your bum right back in." said Sirius.

Harry changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed. Sirius kissed his son's forehead and made to leave when his pup grabbed his wrist. "Will you stay?" Harry asked, ignoring that little voice that told him that he was acting like a needy five year old. "Of course."

Sirius climbed in next to Harry and the boy snuggled close, burying his face in his dad's chest, drawing comfort. Sirius wrapped his arm around Harry's middle. "Sleep tight, pup."

* * *

For the next few days, Harry stuck to his promise. He made a sincere effort to ignore all the nonsense whispered by the other students. He played games of chess with Ron, ate chocolate frogs and liquorice wands and even gave in when Hermione insisted that he study an extra hour everyday. After a while, he genuinely felt better. Every time he heard something being mumbled about himself, he imagined Sirius' voice in his head, telling him to ignore it all and stay calm. It took some time but eventually, the rumours and whispers didn't affect him anymore. He focused on just the happy parts of life.

His back had also healed considerably by then and all that remained was a slight ache and a thin white scar running down the length of his back.

If only such temporary solutions could solve the problems looming before them. If only.

* * *

"Come on, there's got to be a way." Ron said, looking eager. The three of them wanted to find out more about the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had come up with the brilliant idea of sneaking into the Slytherin common room and see if any of the students knew anything. They could take the invisibility cloak.

"I bet Malfoy knows something about it. Dad said that his father was of the Dark sort." Ron continued. "Mione, think. How do we get in?" Harry prompted. "I've already told you, even with the cloak, we need the password to get in. The Slytherins are not stupid enough to give away the password to anyone, least of all a Gryffindor." Hermione explained. "What about Crabbe and Goyle?" "Well, the two of them are always with Malfoy so that's not an option either."

"Think Hermione, think. You're the brightest of the lot. If anyone can come up with an idea then it's you." Said Ron. Hermione turned a shade of red at the compliment. "I'll try and figure something out."

By the end of Herbology, Hermione approached the two boys. "Well, I've got an idea but it's dangerous. We'll be breaking over fifty school rules. If we're caught there's a good chance that we may be suspended." She said. "We will just have to be extra careful then." Ron looked excited at the idea of getting into the Slytherin common room. "It's not that simple, Ronald. It'll take me a while to carry this out." Hermione pulled out a book from her bag and showed it to them. "Look at this. The polyjuice potion allows you to temporarily transform into another wizard or witch. So, if we disguise ourselves, getting in shouldn't be a problem. We're just going to need a few ingredients."

"So what are we waiting for? Start making it Mione." Said Ron. Hermione looked rather unsure. "Ron, we can get into a lot of trouble for this." She said. "Relax Hermione. We have the cloak. No one will even see us." Said Harry. She looked uncertain for a moment but then she relented. "Fine. We'll do it. Tomorrow during classes I'll take the cloak, sneak into Snape's lab and get the things that we need." She looked determined. The two boys looked at her like she'd sprouted an extra head. Who would've thought that Hermione Granger would willingly break rules?

"Alright. Then it's settled."

* * *

The next day however turned out to be utterly disappointing. "I searched the entire lab but Snape seems to have ran out of Boomslang skin and knotgrass. I found everything else."

"Well now that's bloody brilliant isn't it." Came Ron's sarcastic response. "Can't we use anything else?" Asked Harry. They were so close. "Unfortunately, there isn't. We can't replace the original ingredients."

"I've got it! I just thought of an amazing idea. The coming Saturday is a Hogsmeade weekend." Said Ron, looking very excited. "So? That's third year onwards." Hermione spoke slowly like she was talking to a three year old. "I know that. Here's what we can do. Last week, Fred and George were planning all these pranks so they had this map of Hogwarts that they were using. Apparently, there's this One-eyed witch passageway that leads straight into Honeydukes. We're into Hogsmeade. We can then get whatever we need." Ron appeared very pleased with himself.

"Well, for someone as dull as yourself, that's a pretty good idea Ron." Hermione teased. Ron was too happy to respond to her comment.

Harry didn't know how to tell his friends his current dilemma. Last year, he would've rushed in to the idea without a second thought but this year was different. He had somebody to answer to. If they got caught, they would be in major trouble. Sirius would get mad and although Harry knew that the man wouldn't hit him, he most certainly wasn't looking forward to being grounded, along with his father's disappointment in him.

He decided to be honest with his friends. "Ron, if we do this and are caught, my dad is going to be really mad at me. He was pretty ticked off when we flew the car and I promised him that I wouldn't put myself in danger." He confessed. Ron looked surprised for a moment but then he said: "Harry, mate, I'm just as likely to get caught as you. My mum will kill me if she finds out."

Harry remained silent. On one hand, he didn't want to let Sirius down. But, on the other hand, Hogwarts was the first place he had ever felt at home and he didn't want to see the place destroyed. Some of his life's first good memories were connected with this place. Perhaps if they were really careful. "Fine let's do it."

* * *

Finding the passage wasn't a difficult task. They were soon inside. Harry tucked the invisibility cloak into his sweater. His pocket was filled with a few sickles and galleons to pay for whatever they bought. As far as Hermione had told them, the ingredients weren't very expensive.

After their walk, they reached the end of the passageway that led upwards. There was an iron ladder going to the top. It was a little hard to cover all three of them with the cloak and climb the ladder at the same time but with some effort, they managed to do it.

Harry slowly lifted up the floorboard and was at once greeted by the bustling scene at Honeydukes. Trying to make as little sound as possible, they climbed out and headed for the exit.

J. Pippin' Potions was a half hour walk from Honeydukes. It took them longer since all three of them had to walk at the same pace. They reached the dimly lit shop. The door was open and they walked inside. Different sorts of ingredients and potions hung from the racks. Cauldrons of different sizes had been placed on the shelves. A small man, probably in his late fifties sat at the main counter. He was dressed in tatty robes and wore a sour expression.

The plan was to quietly take what was required, leave the money on one of the shelves and get back quickly. "Harry, over there." Hermione whispered, pointing to the third column from the left. The boomslang skin was there and two shelves below it was the knotgrass. They were about to grab it and go when another customer walked in: Remus.

The three of them exited the shop as quietly as possible. They waited outside nervously for Remus to get what he wanted and leave so that they could do their job. They hadn't planned for this at all.

* * *

Remus had come to buy his ingredients required to make the Wolfsbane potion. The moment he walked into the shop, his senses caught whiff of a highly familiar scent.

He sharply turned his head to the left. Yes, it was definitely stronger that side. Someone had been here. It then hit him: it was Harry's scent. But that couldn't be possible right? The boy was at Hogwarts right now or was he?

He quickly paid for his materials and headed out when the scent suddenly became extremely strong. His suspicions were confirmed. Harry was certainly here, hidden under the invisibility cloak. Without further ado, Remus briskly marched forward and tugged the cloak off. And there he found Harry with Ron and Hermione: his partners in crime.

"What do you think you're doing out here, young man?" He demanded sternly.

For Harry, it seemed as though the world had stopped. They had been caught. They were in trouble; they were so dead. Ron's expression was frozen in a similar fashion and Hermione; the one who always had an answer for everything was quiet.

"Please don't tell dad!" Even as Harry said it, he knew what was going to follow. There was no way Remus would not tell Sirius. "I won't. You will. But first, back to the castle."

They took the floo back to Hogwarts and as luck would have it, they ran into Mcgonagall on the way. The Transfiguration professor was surprised to see Remus with the three students and when she found out what was going on, she was furious. "To the headmaster's office this instant!" Remus didn't come with them. "I'll go and get Sirius."

Harry was beginning to panic. They were in so much trouble. The only relieving thing was that neither Remus nor Mcgonagall knew why they were caught out of bounds.

Harry had never been to Dumbledore's office before. Mcgonagall said the password and the Gargoyle sprang aside, revealing a spiral staircase. If anyone looked more worried than Harry then it was Hermione. She absolutely hated getting into trouble. She didn't want to know what was in store for them.

Dumbledore listened quietly to their story. Ron and Harry did most of the explaining since Hermione was too nervous to speak coherently. They left out the part as to why they had been outside in the first place. Instead, they told him it was for a prank. At the end of it, he pushed himself forward and laced his fingers. "I must say, it's disappointing to see such disregard for school rules."

"Miss Granger, I expected you to know better than the other two. How could you three do this?" Mcgonagall scolded, looking at her three students with disappointment. "After everything that's going on, you'll wander off like this! It's outrageous!"

"I'm afraid we shall have to call your parents immediately. We cannot ignore such behavior. It's simply unbecoming of you. I'm disappointed in all three of you. Twenty points from Gryffindor, each."

Harry's shoulders sagged further. He waited for the other shoe to drop. "Mr. Weasley, your parents shall be coming now in a few minutes. Miss Granger, I shall be writing to your parents. You may return to your common room. Mr. Potter, you godfather will come and deal with this matter. Until then, you may take a seat over there." She pointed to a plush sofa and they sat down, trepidation increasing by the second.

Harry watched as Mcgonagall waved her wand and a silvery cat popped out. She sent a message with it. Now for the real trouble.

Sirius was the first to arrive. He looked a little confused since Remus hadn't given many details. Harry's stomach twisted uncomfortably the moment he saw his father. He had no idea about how he was going to explain himself.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived next, looking equally confused. "What's all this about?" Sirius asked, taking a seat on the opposite side of the large desk. "Mr. Black, I'm afraid your godson has landed himself in quite a bit of trouble. Same goes for your son, Mr. Weasley."

Sirius turned around to look at Harry but the boy's gaze was firmly directed towards the floor. He couldn't even look at Sirius.

The story was retold and the parents listened, ever so attentive. "Albus, I apologise for Ronald's behaviour. It was completely out of line and unacceptable. I assure you, we will deal with him properly." Said Mrs. Weasley, glaring at her son who shrunk into his seat.

"I believe that's it." Said Mcgonagall.

"Albus, is it alright if I take Ronald home for the weekend. He'll be back for lessons on Monday. We have things to discuss." Said Mrs. Weasley. Harry had a feeling that this 'discussion' was going to be far from pleasant. "Of course Molly."

Mrs. Weasley marched over to where they were seated, grabbed Ron by the ear and hoisted him off the sofa and dragged him towards the floo. Harry shot his best mate a sympathetic look before the three Weasleys flooed off to the Burrow.

The walk back to Sirius' quarters was quiet, much like the day they had flown the car. "Dad I'm-"

"Not now Harry." Uh oh. His dad was so mad. The portrait swung open and the two of them climbed inside. Remus was sitting in the living room. "Go to your room please." Said Sirius. Harry went inside almost immediately, softly closing the door after him.

Remus observed his friend. Sirius was handling the whole situation a whole lot better than he had expected him to. The man was calm although a little worried. "I didn't expect something like this from Harry. Come on, even James and I didn't do something like this. After everything that's going on, I expected him to be a little more careful. I don't know what to do, Moony."

"Of course you do Padfoot. Harry looks up to you. He listens to you and you're the only adult he has ever trusted."

"Which is why he decided to do this behind my back?" Asked Sirius sarcastically. "He's a child Sirius. He'll make mistakes, which is exactly why you're here: to show him the right way. Go talk to him and I'm sure the two of you will work it out."

"Well, I do hope you're right." Sirius briefly squeezed Remus' shoulder in appreciation. Remus nodded with a smile and went back to his house.

Sirius took a deep breath. He wasn't going to yell at Harry. No. They would talk it all out calmly and then Sirius would do what was needed. He opened the door to Harry's room to find the boy on his bed. Harry's head shot up the moment he heard the door click. "Dad, I'm sorry. We-"

"You're not sorry you did it. You're sorry because you got caught and don't you deny it."

Harry opened his mouth to deny it but he closed it again. Sirius had a fair point. He wasn't exactly sorry that he had gone off like that. But yes, he was sorry because he had worried his father, got his friends in trouble and put himself in danger.

"Why did you go Harry? You know as well as I do that it wasn't to buy materials for a prank. Please, stop lying to me. You know how much I hate it."

"Sorry. Will you tell Dumbledore?" Harry whispered, his face was a light shade of red because of the scolding. "This conversation is between you and me. You have my word that I won't tell anybody." Sirius promised. That was all Harry needed. He told Sirius the full truth about their plan to make the Polyjuice potion and question Malfoy.

"Your idea would've been completely useless." Sirius pointed out bluntly. "The Malfoys were deemed untrustworthy a few decades ago and so, they weren't given any information about such dark topics. Whatever they do know now, is irrelevant. Nothing more than what you already know. I can assure you that young Malfoy knows nothing much."

"Oh." Harry felt like such an idiot. To think they underwent all this trouble for nothing. "What I want to know is why you were getting involved in all this. It's dangerous and you know it."

"Hogwarts was my first home, Dad. I can't watch it crumble like this." Harry's confession made Sirius think about his own childhood. Hogwarts had been his first home too. His parents had always hated him for being different. "I know what that feels like Harry but I can't simply ignore the fact that you rushed into danger. Several things could've gone wrong today." Said Sirius, his voice going stern.

Harry suddenly found the paisley carpet very interesting. "I trusted you, Harry James. Apparently, I shouldn't have." A kick in the gut would've hurt less. "Give me the cloak please."

Without a word of argument, Harry handed over his invisibility cloak. "You can have this back once I'm assured that you won't use it for anything dangerous." Harry nodded reluctantly. That was fair.

Harry got up and threw his arms around the man. "I'm sorry, Dad. I really am. I'm sorry I risked my life, I'm sorry for worrying you and endangering myself." At the last bit, Harry's voice broke a little.

Strong arms pulled him close. "I know you mean that, pup. I can't lose you Harry. It would kill me." Said Sirius. Harry nodded against him.

"We won't bring this up again." The man said. Harry smiled at that. It was one of his favourite rules. Sirius believed that once something had been dealt with, it wasn't to be mentioned again.

"Will Ron be okay?" Harry asked. His best friend's mother had appeared livid when she had taken him home. "He'll be alright. His mother will be hard on him, but no doubt but he'll be fine. Don't you worry."

"In the meantime, I suggest you worry about yourself." Harry looked at Sirius questioningly. He followed Sirius down the stairs and into a room that was like the ground floor of the Defence quarters. It had a door on either side, probably leading to other such poorly maintained rooms. Harry had never been down here before and by the looks of it, no one else had either.

Every inch of the place was coated with a thick layer of dust. Cobwebs hung from the junctions of every wall. A couple of boxes had been haphazardly stacked here and there. Files were lying in a corner in an untidy pile. "This room could use some cleaning. Couldn't it?" Asked Sirius, leaning against the staircase. "Um yes..." Harry wasn't exactly sure where this conversation was headed.

"So, I suggest you get to it. It needn't be spotless, just presentable. You can do one now and the other two tomorrow. Without magic of course." Said Sirius, casually. Harry stared at his dad with a gaping mouth. "You can't be serious!" He said. It would take him hours to clean this place. Why had he thought of sneaking off like that!

"I'm perfectly serious about this Harry. You risked your life and I'll just take your cloak away? Absolutely not, young man. The longer you spend talking to me, the more time you're wasting so for your sake, I suggest you get started."

"But you said I didn't have to do chores." He cheekily replied, remembering the time Sirius had told him those very words. "I remember what I said Harry James. This isn't a chore. It's punishment. Unless of course you'd rather be grounded for the week." Quickly shaking his head, Harry picked up the dusting cloth and began his task. Being grounded was truly terrible.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked. Sirius conjured a chair for himself. "I'm going to supervise."

With a sigh Harry started with clearing the cobwebs. Brilliant way to spend the weekend indeed.

* * *

 **So how was it? Just to make one thing clear, for all those who think Sirius was wrong to get mad at Harry, please do think again. Sirius is a great friend, marauder and prankster but in this story, he's also a father. His reaction to Harry risking his life like that was very normal. His paternal instincts are stronger than his other aspects.**

 **Harry is his world and he will do what it takes to keep the boy safe. Even if that means a little tough love. So for those of you who think he's wrong, stop calling him a hypocrite!**

 **Had to put that out there. Other than that, I hope you'll liked the chapter. I'll try and update soon. R &R!**


	20. Chapter 19: Night Terrors

With a sigh, Harry gave the room one last sweep with the broom and gave the place a look over. It was pretty clean now. He'd finished the other two rooms and this was the last one. He had dusted the cobwebs, swept the floor, organised the boxes and files in their right order and scrubbed the walls spotless. His hands were gritty; he was sweaty and exhausted. He gathered all of the cleaning equipment and went upstairs.

It was Sunday and he had spent the entire weekend cleaning the basement. He wondered how his friends were doing. He'd tried to convince his dad to let him do just one of the rooms but Sirius hadn't budged so he'd ended up cleaning them all.

"Did you finish with all the rooms?" His dad asked, not looking up from the book he was reading. "Yes dad." Sirius closed the book and nodded approvingly. "Good. Now, I don't think I need to tell you what happens if you try something like this again." Sirius said, looking pointedly at his son. Harry flushed slightly before nodding.

"Why don't you go and take a shower?" Sirius suggested, seeing Harry's dirty clothes and hands. "Yeah okay."

Feeling clean and fresh, Harry stepped out of the shower and got dressed. He still had Flitwick's essay to complete so he sat down to do it. This had most certainly been the worst weekend ever.

That evening Ron was back. Harry went to his dorm to see Ron and Hermione sitting there. "So, what did your mum say?" Asked Harry, worriedly. The miserable expression on his best mate's face made it clear that Ron's weekend had been as bad as his if not worse. "First she gave me a long talk after which sentenced me to every possible chore she could think of. It was horrible."

"What about the polyjuice potion?" Asked Hermione. Harry told them both what his father had told him. They both looked utterly disappointed. "We got into all that trouble for nothing!" Ron groaned, smashing his face into a pillow.

"Oh don't be so upset Ron. I'm going to the library. Any of you want to come?" Hermione asked. When the two of them shook their heads, she went off on her own.

* * *

 _Harry walked down the long, gloomy corridor, feeling more on edge than ever. There was something not quite right with this place. He'd never been here before. The walls were a dark green, covered with moss and cobwebs, the floor was wet and there was a strange smell surrounding the entire place._

 _He didn't know why he was here but he kept walking until he saw the end of the corridor. Upon getting closer, he could make out two snakes carved into an old, large door like structure. The snakes were coiled around each other. Despite the worn out condition of the place, their eyes were the brightest shade of green, glowing in the dim corridor._

 _Whatever was behind that door, made Harry shiver. He didn't want to know what it was but he knew there was something behind it. He just did._

 _"Harry Potter. We meet again." Harry froze when he heard the voice. He could never forget the sound of this voice. He had heard it for the first time last year, when he'd gone to retrieve the Sorcerer's stone. It was the same voice that had tempted him with the hopes of being reunited with his deceased parents, the one that had ordered Quirrel to kill him. Voldemort._

 _He desperately looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice but he found none. "You cannot see me, Potter. This is my domain, I'm the master." Harry turned around and tried to run but it felt like his legs had suddenly turned to lead. He couldn't move. "There is no escape from me."_

 _"What do you want?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice steady. He wasn't going to appear weak, not in front of Voldemort of all people. "Me? I merely wish to speak to you Harry." The voice was like an echo, coming from all directions._

 _"How is your godfather, Sirius Black? I personally don't like him. I have some scores to settle with him. He caused a lot of problems for me a few years ago. But enough about me. How are you? How's school, Harry? How are your friends?" Voldemort asked, his voice amplifying in the room._

 _All this pretence and small talk was driving Harry insane. "Leave me alone!" He shouted, covering his ears. Voldemort clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "That's hardly polite, Harry. Didn't your new daddy teach you any manners? Hmm. It appears I'll have to rectify that!" Suddenly an intense pain flared up through Harry's entire body. It kept increasing and unable to take it anymore, he sank to his knees, finally curling up as he had often done in his cupboard._

 _"There. That's much better. I do hope we won't have to work on your manners again. Now as I was saying- before being so rudely interrupted, how is life? How do you like it with Sirius? Is he good to you or is he nothing more than an apathetic nuisance?"_

 _"Don't say one word about him!" Harry snapped, uncurling himself and sitting up, trying to ignore the pain. "My, my, quite fond of him aren't you. I wonder what you would do if something were to happen to him. What would you do if he left you alone, like James and Lily."_

 _That was enough to get Harry's attention. Fear clouded his mind. He couldn't lose Sirius. No, he couldn't. He didn't remember James and Lily but their death made him sad. The very thought of losing a father after knowing what it was like to have one, brought tears to his eyes. If Sirius died, Harry was sure that he would also die- of grief. "N-No." he said shakily. "Don't hurt my dad."_

 _Suddenly the air before him shimmered and Sirius appeared in front of him. On any other occasion, Harry would've been happy to see his dad but not at that time. At least not like that. Sirius lay in front of him, his eyes were open, a blank look on his face. No, no, no._

 _Harry ran forward and collapsed in front of his father. He took Sirius' hand but dropped it immediately. It was cold, so cold. Sirius was dead. His father was dead._

 _'It's not real, it's not real...' he chanted repeatedly. "Oh but it will be, lad." Voldemort's ice-cold voice struck him like a knife. He couldn't take the sight if his father's immobile form anymore and he screamed, as loud as he could, pouring all his heartache into it. "NO!"_

 _Sirius' body dissolved into nothingness right before his eyes. Sobbing, he tried to reach out but everything around him started to disappear. "Dad no! Don't leave me alone! He continued to sob, feeling helpless when suddenly; strong arms wrapped around his body, lifting him up and away from his surroundings- his nightmare._

"Harry, open your eyes pup." He heard someone talking to him, soothing him. The screaming stopped and he forced his eyes open and saw Sirius looking at him. His gaze was filled with concern.

Harry looked around and took in everything around him. He was in his room, in the Defence quarters and Sirius was holding him tight. Sirius. His dad was right here, in front of him. He wasn't dead. With a sob of relief he launched himself at the man, throwing his arms around his father's neck. That nightmare had seemed so real.

Harry felt Sirius' hand gently rubbing his back. "You're okay pup. I got you now." He was set down on the bed and Sirius settled down next to him. Sirius said nothing. He ran his hand through Harry's hair, mumbling nonsense and trying to calm the boy.

"Pup, what was all that about?" Sirius asked once Harry had settled down a bit. Harry remained silent for a whole minute. "Dad, I heard... I heard Voldemort." The arm that had been rubbing his back abruptly stopped. "What else?" Asked Sirius, trying to keep his voice level and the panic at bay. Sirius listened with horror as Harry narrated his nightmare. "He threatened to kill you, Dad. It was horrible." Harry's voice sounded weak. A few traitorous tears trailed down his cheeks as he recalled the emptiness inside himself when he'd seen Sirius lying there like that. He'd never felt so hopeless ever before.

"That wasn't real, kiddo. I'm right here okay, and you're safe." Sirius assured him. Harry shook his head frantically. "No dad, you don't get it. He threatened to kill you. I don't want you to leave me. Please don't go." Harry pleaded. "Oh pup. He said that so that he could get to you. Get inside your mind and hurt you. He can't hurt me Harry."

Harry remained stubbornly silent. "You want some hot chocolate?" Sirius asked. Harry looked up, confused but the idea of a drink was refreshing. He nodded. Sirius stood up and Harry immediately followed. With a sigh, the man wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders and led him outside. As he stared at Harry who occasionally sniffled and wiped his eyes, he realised that the dream had indeed hit his pup very hard.

He felt the familiar rage boiling at the surface but he shoved it down. Not now. Sirius pulled out two mugs from the cabinet and got to work. Two minutes later, both of them held a steaming mug of hot chocolate in their hands.

The liquid soothed Harry's parched throat, which felt raw from all the crying and shouting. "Feel better?" Harry nodded honestly. "That. Dream. Wasn't. Real. Do you hear me?" Asked Sirius, ducking slightly to look Harry in the eyes. "Yes, dad." And now truly, although he was still shaken, he knew it wasn't real. But back then; it had all appeared so real. He gave a little shiver as his mind went back to the cold chamber. "Good boy. That was just Voldemort messing with your head, trying to get to you."

"But what if he comes back?" Asked Harry, hating himself for sounding so small. "Them we will find a way to deal with it. There has to be a solution for all this. I'll think of something by tomorrow." Sirius promised. "Now, why don't you get back in bed."

Harry desperately shook his head, feeling the panic bubble inside him again. "No Dad. He'll come back; he'll come back, Dad. I can't see all that- see you like that ever again." Harry pleaded with his father and Sirius immediately relented.

"Sshh. Alright. You needn't go back to sleep. We'll sit right here, all night. I'll stay with you. Okay?" Said Sirius. That was definitely a better suggestion. Harry snuggled against Sirius' side. They talked for a long time. The man made sure to keep the topics cheerful and after what seemed like forever, he felt Harry grow heavier in his arms. He looked down and saw the boy breathing deeply, sound asleep.

Not willing to leave him alone, Sirius summoned a blanket and draped it over the child's sleeping form and brought his son closer.

Thankfully, the remainder of the night passed without any nightmares.

* * *

With another expert slash of his wand, Sirius knocked down the opponent in front of him and watched it disintegrate. His eyes were a deadly shade of steel as he tackled the fairly solid enemies in the room of requirement. His every reflex and every move was agile and catlike. If anyone had been watching him, all that they would've made out of Sirius was a blurry object destroying his enemies with terrifying skill. This was a mere glimpse of the Auror who made Death Eaters quake before him.

He felt the energy swirling around his entire person, the rage so intense that it was physically visible. With lethal accuracy, he aimed a hex at an obstacle approaching him, effectively obliterating it. _How dare he!_ Slash. _How dare Voldemort hurt Harry like that!_ Whack!

As he continued to destroy the illusions that the room had created on his requirement, he felt the anger diminish a little. Another figure popped up in front of him and like all others, it possessed the same white face, red eyes and slits for a nose. Surging forward with brutal intent, Sirius tore it down.

Finally, once he was satisfied, the room reverted to its original state and Sirius sank to the floor. He drew in a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. Since he had released all of that pent up energy, slowly but steadily, he felt the rage dissipate. He had managed to reassure Harry and the boy had gone off to his classes. Now, time to go and speak with a certain Headmaster.

"I see. This is indeed a very grim matter." Said Dumbledore. Sirius mentally rolled his eyes. Of course it was. He hadn't come here to drink butter beer with the Headmaster. "I know that Albus. I want to know the reason behind this and how Voldemort was able to penetrate Harry's mind in the first place." Dumbledore saw the rage swirling in those grey eyes and not for the first time was he thankful that Sirius hadn't gone over to the dark side. There was a reason the Blacks were feared. He would never admit it out loud but if Sirius had switched over to the evil side, Voldemort would've definitely become the lesser threat. The love Sirius held for Harry was immense and beyond compare. He felt sorry for whoever tried to cross him.

"I'm not quite sure, my boy. Perhaps it has something to do with the boy's childhood." Sirius pursed his lips at that. Of course! The damage done by those bloody relatives of his had left Harry physically as well as emotionally scarred. It was natural that his mind wasn't strong enough to block Voldemort's mental attack, even when Voldemort was weak. "As you know, Voldemort is a skilled Leglimens. If Harry needs to defend himself he'll have to learn-"

"Occlumency!" He should've thought about that earlier. "That's right. If you wish, I could ask Severus to hel-"

"Absolutely not! There's no way I'm letting that dungeon bat into Harry's mind. He hates Harry as it is. No need to cause further injury. I'll teach Harry myself."

Dumbledore looked surprised. "You know Occlumency?" Sirius scoffed. "Of course I do, Albus. Along with Leglimency and a whole lot of other stuff. You see, when your summer vacations are a nightmare, the library and your room are the only places of solace." That was true. Sirius had hated it whenever the school year came to an end. His family had been a pain to live with so he had spent most of his time cooped up in either his roommate the library or the outdoors. Thanks to the vast resources of the Black Library, Sirius had picked on a lot of knowledge.

Dumbledore offered Sirius a sympathetic smile. With a hurried goodbye, Sirius walked out of Dumbledore's office and back to his quarters.

* * *

"Occu-what? What's that again?" Harry asked for the third time. "Occlumency. Like I've already told you, it's a technique that allows you to close your mind and prevent any external factor from looking into your thoughts, feelings and emotions." Sirius explained patiently.

"So if I do this- Occlumency thing, Voldemort won't be able to get into my head?" Harry looked hopeful. "Exactly. But, it's not as easy as it sounds. You'll need to focus and give it your very best." Said Sirius. Harry nodded eagerly. He'd do anything to keep a certain someone out of his head. "Do you know Occlumency?"

"Yes I do and I'll be the one teaching you how to block your thoughts from him."

"How?" Harry asked. Sirius looked uneasily at his boy before answering. "I'll have to look into your mind and then you'll try and push me out of it." He said. Harry tensed up at that. If Sirius was going to teach him Occlumency then that would mean that he would be able to see everything that the Dursleys had done to him. Talking to his father about the abuse was one thing but witnessing it happen was something different altogether. His mind had been the one place where his Uncle couldn't hurt him. It had been his personal sanctuary. Learning how to block his mind meant opening his mind to Sirius and although he trusted his dad more than anyone including himself, he wasn't looking forward to the idea very much.

"Will it hurt?" He asked. "I can't promise that it won't hurt but I'll be as slow and careful as possible." Sirius reassured him. _Quit being such a baby!_ Harry scolded himself. If he wanted to protect his mind from Voldemort, then he had to do this. Harry steeled himself. "Alright. When do we begin?"

Sirius gave Harry a smile. "We'll begin tomorrow night once your lessons are over. It takes courage to do this, Harry." But at that moment, Harry didn't feel all that courageous.

The next day, his classes seemed to drag on and on. He just couldn't wait for the day to get over. When Charms ended, Harry wasted no time in bolting out of the classroom and right to the Defence quarters. Sirius was already there, waiting for him.

"Come, sit and then we can begin." Their first exercise that day was simple. Sirius made Harry clear his mind. "Your mind needs to be clear. If your head is clouded with unnecessary thoughts, you won't be able to focus. Secondly, the invader attacks you through your thoughts. If your mind itself is blank, there won't be anything for him to attack. It also helps you calm down when you're faced with unfavourable situations. It helps me... most of the times."

Harry closed his eyes and tried to do as Sirius had instructed. He took deep breaths and willed all his thoughts to go away. It was a little difficult but after some practice, he got the hang of it. His father said that they'd move on to harder exercises later on.

By the end of their session, Harry had completely learnt the art of making his mind go totally blank. "I'm proud of you, pup." And just like that, those five words made the entire process worth it.

It was a small start but an important one nonetheless. Harry still had a long way to go if he needed to defend his mind from Voldemort's invasion.

* * *

 **I had time this week so I was able to update. I don't know if I'll be able to upload chapters this frequently again but I'll try. Hope you liked the chapter!**


	21. Chapter 20: Petrified

**Some of you'll may be wondering as to how Voldemort was able to enter Harry's mind. There's an explanation for that coming soon. Don't worry. The occlumency lessons shall be continuing and some more of the plot will unfold.**

 **Read on!**

* * *

"Are you ready?" Sirius asked and got a nervous nod as a response. They'd practiced clearing Harry's mind and certain light exercises for the past few days. They could move to the next level now. Sirius would be entering Harry's mind.

The boy felt uncomfortable to say the least. He wasn't sure of himself at all. Sure, he'd completed the first step of Occlumency with ease but he knew that it only got harder as you kept going further. "Remember what we've been doing for the past few days. When I'm inside your head, I'll be able to look into your thoughts. Your job is to prevent that at all costs. Push me out as hard as you can. Understood?"

His father squeezed his shoulder encouragingly and smiled at him. He saw the silent message in those intense grey eyes. You can do this. He repeated the words in his head a bit. "I'm ready." His voice sounded stronger than he felt but he had to learn this if he wanted to stop Voldemort's mental attacks.

"Alright then. _One, two three... Legilimens."_ Sirius was at once hit by a dozen flashes. _His first meeting with Harry after acquittal. Shopping with Harry. Playing Quidditch with him during the summer. Harry's twelfth birthday._ Since it was Harry's first try, Sirius didn't go in deep. He penetrated Harry's mind only superficially. He felt a small force, trying to push him out of Harry's mind. It was weak but it was still there. The force wasn't strong enough to completely cast him out and so he pulled out on his own.

Harry's breathing was slightly heavy but other than that, he was alright. "You're trying and that's a good enough start, kiddo." Said Sirius, smiling encouragingly at his son.

Sirius did the same thing again and again, going slow and gentle and by the fifth attempt, Harry could push him out although the push wasn't very strong. "That's enough for today. We can work on something a little more challenging tomorrow." Sirius concluded the session and none was happier than Harry.

Occlumency was difficult and wore him out more than all of his lessons combined. He knew that it would get more difficult with each session. He felt worn out. "Hey dad, can I have dinner right here? I'm too exhausted to go to the Great Hall." And he really was. He wasn't exactly sleepy but he was dead tired and he wanted to skip dinner and just curl up on his bed but he knew Sirius wouldn't allow that. "Of course. I'll call for some food for the both of us."

After dinner, his dad chased him to his room and Harry didn't protest. Once alone in his room, he sat up and pulled out his Charms textbook from under his pillow. Unbeknownst to Sirius, he had been staying up as much as he could, opting to sleep for only two or three hours a night. He hadn't been able to consciously try and fall asleep after that dreadful night.

Whenever his father would come to check up on him, he'd quickly slip underneath the covers. He enjoyed Sirius' little nightly visits. A slight ruffle of his hair, a kiss on the forehead were the little things which provided him reassurance. He didn't want to fall asleep and find himself in Voldemort's clutches.

* * *

Harry's assumptions had been correct. The sessions got tougher with every passing day. The first few days had been alright. Sirius had only looked into his recent memories. They were all happy ones about his summer with Sirius. He was getter go better at pushing his father out albeit slowly.

The real grind began afterwards. Once he'd learned how to block superficial penetration, they worked on deep mind invasion. It was definitely harder to prevent it. These memories were far more painful. They were all the childhood memories that Harry had buried away deeply over the last few months. To have them resurface again all at once was overwhelming.

The boy saw the pain on his father's face every time he entered Harry's mind. He knew that it was equally hard for Sirius if not harder. On the plus side, he was making progress although it was rather slow. Sirius had told him that Occlumency was a difficult kind of magic and it took months to master it. He had felt particularly stupid when he couldn't block the attacks and he had voiced this. Sirius had gently rebuked him and told him that it wasn't his fault. This happened during the initial stages.

The incident happened on a particularly rough day. "Focus! You can do this." Said Sirius. Panting, Harry nodded although he felt anything but focused. " _Legilimens_."

 _Harry turned in his homework, trying not to punch his Potions professor in the face. He had waited until everyone left since he didn't want to be insulted in front of all the students. The Slytherins would like nothing better than to watch their Head of House pick on a student of the rival house. Snape glowered at him and snatched the parchment from Harry's fingers. He took one look at Harry's taut expression and clenched teeth. "Tell me Potter, how can one with so little brain have a head as large as yours? Doesn't your arrogance bother you?"_

 _Harry said nothing. He'd vowed to keep this year as detention free as possible and mouthing off to Snape wouldn't help in the least. "Didn't that mutt teach you to answer when spoken to? Your silence smacks of insolence. Just like your father."_

 _Harry couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't listen to those horrible comments for the next few years. He'd had enough. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?" He felt horrible. Why did Snape despise him like that? Snape glared at him, his black eyes void of any sort of emotion. "Get out, Potter."_

 _Harry stood firm, not willing to budge. "No. I want to know what is it that makes you hate me the way you do." Snape's nostrils flared. "I said get out, Potter. Are you so pea brained that you can't understand me? Leave!"_

 _"Please Professor, tell me." Harry's voice sounded desperate. He wanted to know whatever was it that he had done to make Snape treat him with such loathing." I hate you because James Potter was an incorrigibly arrogant, no good swine. He was stuck up, thought no end of himself and his ego knew no bounds. Your insolence reminds me of him and so, I cannot stand you. You have your answer now. Get out of my sight." Snape snapped. He stood up, grabbed Harry by his collar and practically hauled him out and slammed the door on his face._

 _Harry picked himself up, off the floor and straightened his robes. He gathered his books up and stared at the closed dungeon door. Only one thought ran through his mind: Was it true?_

"When did this happen, Harry?" Sirius asked, pulling out of Harry's mind. Harry hadn't blocked him even though he was supposed to. "Today morning ." Harry replied. "Was it true? What he said? Tell me Dad." Harry pleaded with his dad. He hadn't blocked Sirius on purpose. He wanted his father to see what had happened in the dungeons.

Sirius had never expected this. He was furious with Snape for grabbing Harry that way. But, he didn't want to lie to his pup about James and Snape's enmity. It wasn't fair to the boy. What Snape had said wasn't true, not completely. True, James had a bit of a big head but that's where it ended. Snape had been way out of line by telling Harry all those things. Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Come lets sit down."

"Now listen carefully, Harry. Yes, James and Snape were enemies when they were at Hogwarts. James was rather proud, to be honest. Naturally, I took James' side and so he hates us both. Snape had no right to say all that to you about James. Everyone has their flaws and James had his own ones but he was a great person. I need you to understand that."

"Were you'll mean to him?" Harry asked. His tone wasn't angry or sad. Just curious. "We were both mean to each other." Sirius replied. Harry took in whatever he had just heard. He believed every word of it. Sirius would never lie to him; that he was sure of. He knew that James was a good person. Snape hated him because of James' arrogance.

Why was Snape still holding on to that childhood rivalry and taking it out on him? "It's not fair." He said, laying his head on Sirius' shoulder. "I know puppy. It's certainly not fair to you." Sirius answered.

"I think we've had enough for one day. We'll resume tomorrow. Why don't you work on that Defence essay? Knowing the professor, he'll be less than pleased with you if you don't do it." Said Sirius. Harry cracked a small grin before nodding.

Once Harry was in his room, Sirius stepped out of his quarters, to go and talk to a certain Potions professor.

* * *

Snape was sitting in his office, grading essays when there was an impatient knocking on his door. He massaged his temples before going and opening the door. There stood Sirius Black, looking nothing short of furious. The glare being sent his way was intimidating and his eyes that were usually pleasant were nothing more than narrowed slits. A shiver ran down his spine as he was suddenly reminded of the Dark Lord and it scared him. Trying to appear unaffected by the look, he put on his best sneer. "Black. What an unwelcome surprise."

"What an unsurprising welcome." Sirius shot back. Snape grit his teeth. He didn't want to face the irate man now. "What do you want Black? I've got things to attend to." The other man shoved past him and into the office. "Harry is not James." Sirius spat. "How could you talk to him like that today?" Snape drew back before regaining composure. _So_ _that's_ _what_ _this_ _was_ _about_. "Ah, so now you've come to me for telling your precious godson the truth about his horrible father. As it is you coddle him so much. Could he be anymore rotten."

Sirius had to put in a lot of self control to not punch Snivellus. "Don't you dare say that. I agree that you and James didn't get along with each other. Heck, you'll hated each other. That doesn't give you the right to treat Harry the way you do." Snape rolled his eyes. "Are you done?"

Sirius slammed his fist down on the table. "Snape, you bloody listen to me. Harry has done nothing to you. James is gone now so you want to vent your bitterness by taking it out in Harry. He. Does. Not. Deserve. This. The fact that you can't let go of a stupid childhood rivalry, just proves how horrible you are. Lily wouldn't have wanted to see you like this."

The mention of the woman he had loved hit him hard."Just remember one thing, Snape. This is the last time you ever say anything like this to Harry. You will not taunt him, belittle him, mock him or provoke him in any manner whatsoever. Whether that is physically or verbally. If I find out that you've remotely mistreated him, you will sorely regret it." Sirius spoke the words in a calm tone but the menacing undertone was not lost on Snape. He nodded briefly. Sirius stormed out of the dungeon, casting one last look at his childhood nemesis.

Snape sank down in his chair, trying to calm the headache that was building up. That had certainly been an unexpected event. He'd stay away from that Potter boy as much as possible, not only because of what Black had said about Lily but also because he knew all too well what happened to those who crossed a Black. What had happened to Lucius Malfoy was a clear example.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Harry dabbled between his lessons at school, homework and Occlumency. He didn't get more than half an hour a day to relax but it was a small price to pay to prevent Voldemort's attack.

His potion classes were actually going well. He didn't know what had made way for such a miraculous result but Snape didn't taunt him or make snide comments throughout the class. He basically ignored him and if he had to speak, to was just a curt word or two. Harry was totally okay with that. He sent a silent thanks to the being that had caused this. He didn't know who it was but he was grateful.

"Hermione please." Ron pleaded again. "I've been trying to get this bloody essay done for the past week. If I don't turn it in tomorrow, Flitwick's going to give me detention." Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at the less scholarly boy. "Ron, I have no problem doing it for you but I won't. If I do it, you won't be learning anything on your own and that's not done." She said, very firmly. With a groan, Ron smashed his face into his open textbook.

"I'm going to the library right now and I want you to have finished at least half of that essay by the time I come back and then maybe I'll help you out with the other half." Said Hermione, shouldering her bag. Ron's expression brightened up at that. "Hermione, you're wonderful!" He exclaimed and picked up his quill with renewed enthusiasm. The bushy haired girl shook her head fondly before leaving the common room.

Half an hour later, Ron had managed to get at least a little work done. Harry, thanks to Sirius' insistence had finished his homework well in advance and inwardly chuckled. He'd put up quite the resistance last week when Sirius had asked him to start off but now he was thankful that his dad had won that particular argument.

"This is utter bull! I can't bloody do this anymore!" Ron snapped in frustration as he threw his quill down. The ink on it made small splotches on his parchment. "Just close it then. Once Her-" the portrait swung open and Professor Black stepped inside. Harry noted at once that he wore a very grave expression. Something was horribly wrong. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, please follow me. The rest of you are to stay inside. No one is supposed to leave the common room under any circumstances." After exchanging confused glances, the two of them followed Sirius outside. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Sirius didn't reply but simply led them forward. When they took the route to the hospital wing, that's when Harry realised that this wasn't anything small.

They went inside where Mcgonagall was already waiting for them, along with Dumbledore. They were both standing near a bed, unintentionally blocking the figure lying on it. "Potter, Weasley, I suggest the two of you steel yourselves. This is going to be difficult." Said Mcgonagall.

She moved aside to reveal the petrified figure of Hermione Granger. Harry gasped, his hand flew to his mouth as he took in the figure of his best friend. Ron wasn't faring all that well either. Trying to control his emotions, Harry sat down on the bed, and gently touched her hand which held a small mirror. It wasn't cold but it was very still. Hermione was his best friend, the closest thing he had to a sister. He felt Sirius' hands come and rest on his shoulders but he didn't lean in the way he always did.

"Pup?' Sirius' voice broke the awkward silence that hung in the air around them. Ron was openly crying, not bothering to hide his tears. This was very uncharacteristic of the redhead who always tried to act tough.

The two friends didn't say anything. They just sat by the bed and looked at their friend was lying there. "We don't know how the attacker managed to strike. He wasn't supposed to be able to attack, given to all the security measures that we've taken. Pomona is working on a cure. She's trying to find it. Hopefully, it'll be ready in the next few days." Mcgonagall spoke to Sirius.

The man nodded absently, his attention solely on the black haired child hunched over the bed. He strode forward and lightly jostled Harry's shoulder. "Come on, kiddo. Let's go back." The boy shook his head, not wanting to move an inch. He looked at Mcgonagall and jerked his head towards Ron. She nodded immediately. Both the boys weren't alright now. Sirius wasn't willing to leave Ron alone, knowing that both of them would be utterly miserable. "Harry, come on. We need to get back." He repeated himself, a little more firmly this time.

Harry recognised the tone of his dad's voice and with one last look Hermione, he stood up. "Ron, you too. Come on." Said Sirius. A look of pure relief washed over the redhead's face. He was all too glad to go back with Harry. He'd have felt extremely lonely and wretched. Harry was also happy to have Ron over since his other best friend was already hurt. He didn't want Ron to be attacked or anything else.

Once they were inside Sirius's quarters, an uncomfortable atmosphere settled over the place. Neither of them wanted to go out for dinner so they had it there itself. Ron, who usually needed no excuse to stuff his face, barely touched his food. Harry couldn't manage more than a few bites. They didn't speak or say anything much. All of Sirius' questions were answered with a word of two.

"I'm going to bed." Ron mumbled. "Of course. Please call me if you need anything." Said Sirius, giving him a pat on his back. The boy nodded and went to the spare bed that had been set up in Harry's room.

Sirius turned his attention to Harry once the two of them were alone. "Puppy? Talk to me." He prompted gently. The boy allowed Sirius to pull him into a hug, needing the comfort. "It's all my fault, Dad." He whispered as Sirius rubbed his back. "How is it your fault, pup?" The man found his son's statement highly incredulous. "V-Voldemort wants to come after me. He went for my friend just to get to me. It's my fault Hermione was petrified."

Sirius was shocked. Did Harry actually believe that? He pulled back and took the boy by the chin. "No Harry, of wasn't your fault. Voldemort attacked Hermione because that's just who he is, regardless of what you think. He's attacking the student here because it makes him feel powerful. You have nothing to do with it and are not to be blamed," said Sirius. "And besides, Sprout's working on a cure. It'll be ready in a few days."

Harry didn't cry although he did feel close to tears. His father's words did little to console him. "Who knows who he'll attack next?" Harry's voice sounded an octave higher than usual. Sirius didn't know how to answer that. Harry was hurting and that hurt him.

* * *

The next morning, Harry and Ron finished breakfast and went to the hospital wing to see Hermione. They sat by her bedside quietly. Some part of Harry hoped that she'd wake up if they shook her or something but he knew that was a stupid little thought.

His gaze traveled to her eyes which were focused on the mirror that she held in her left hand. It was then that he noticed something sticking out of her right hand. As gently as he could, he uncurled her fingers that had been fisted and pulled out a small, scrunched up piece of parchment.

"What's that?" Ron asked when he saw what was in Harry's hand. The boy shrugged and smoothed the parchment. Both of them peered over it. Written on that tiny bit of yellow parchmet was just one word: _Pipes_.

* * *

 **So there you are. Another chapter. More of the drama will unfold the next chapter onwards. I'll try and update quickly but with exams looming over me, I can't promise anything but I'll definitely do my best.**


	22. Chapter 21: The Chamber of Secrets

**I received a message from one of my readers regarding Harry's emotional character in this story. I just want you'll to know that by no means is he a weak character. That is absolutely not how I've portrayed him. He was abused in this book so there is a certain lack of self confidence which exists within his mind. He's overcome that almost completely. Harry is not weak. He's just very open and trusts Sirius completely. Which is why he is comfortable with being vulnerable in front of his father. He doesn't run from him.**

 **Okay so I don't know how it happened but my One shot Collection was accidentally deleted. Don't worry I'll upload it in another few hours again. I'll be changing the name to 'Padfoot and his Pup**

 **Random question: Any Originals fans out there? I'm totally waiting for March 17. Season 4! Finally!**

 **Random thought: Whenever I read about Sirius and Harry in the muggle world, wearing muggle attire, I imagine Sirius wearing a leather jacket like Damon Salvatore and start swooning.**

 **R &R**!

* * *

"Pipes! What the heck does that mean?" Ron asked. "I don't know, Ron." Harry replied. He was truly baffled since he had no idea what that one word meant. He had tucked that little parchment into his pocket and picked up his bag. He'd think about it later on.

Harry couldn't concentrate that day on any of his lessons, neither could Ron. Mcgonagall took one look at their miserable expressions and cut them some slack. After lessons, the two of them shut themselves up in Harry's room, wondering what that one tiny word could possibly mean. "What we need to know is how this huge monster managed to come out from the Chamber of Secrets, attack people and go back unnoticed. I mean, think about it. Dad told us about this monster the other day so according to him, it's nothing small. It's got to be impossibly large and yet it's invisible. How?" Harry finished, looking more confused than ever.

They pulled out a couple of books that they'd borrowed from the library and poured over it. Reading up books was Hermione's job. The two boys had never done it before so they found it extremely boring and tedious. "Maybe there's a secret passageway or something that helps this monster get about the castle without being spotted." Ron suggested. Harry's eyes widened with realisation. Of course! "Pipes! That's what Hermione meant. The pipes serve as a passage for the monster to operate. It comes out through the opening when a student is alone and attacks!" Harry exclaimed, looking rather pleased with their discovery.

"But how could such a large monster fit inside the pipes? I mean the pipes are not that narrow but they aren't all too wide, mate." Ron pondered aloud. Harry bit his lip in thought. That was a valid point. "Maybe it's the kind of monster that can change size." Harry offered. "Yeah, maybe."

"Or maybe its thin enough to squeeze into the pipes?" Ron suggested. "What kind of demon can be that thin? It's most certainly not an ogre, a dragon or a troll."

"Maybe it's a snake." Ron suddenly quipped. Harry stared at his best mate like he has won a lottery. That was the smartest thing he had ever said. "Ron! You're a bloody genius!" He shook the other boy's shoulders in excitement. "The monster has to be a snake. That's why I was hearing those voices! They weren't in my head after all!"

"Hermione had figured it out! Good old 'Mione." Said Ron. "But what snake could attack someone so badly that the victims were petrified?"

They decided to go to the library and research that particular topic. Fortunately, the book that they needed wasn't in the restricted section so they were able to access it. The whole time, a tiny bit of guilt had crept into Harry's mind. He had promised Sirius that he wouldn't go looking for trouble. He'd promised him that he'd stay away from the Chamber of Secrets completely and yet here he was, researching the very topic. But he wasn't actually risking his life so this didn't exactly count. _Right_?

"Harry! Look at what I found!" Ron's excitement didn't go down too well with Madam Pince and she gave him a severe look, clearly telling him to tone down. The boy ignored the librarian's glare and pointed to an article. "Look! Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. If the victim is fortunate enough to not look this terrifying beast directly in the eye but through a surface or reflection, they are left utterly petrified. That's what happened to all the students!"

Harry looked like they'd found a pot of gold. They had finally uncovered the reason behind all the happenings at Hogwarts! They took the book back to Harry's room since they didn't want anybody to overhear anything.

"It says here that the victim is petrified if they don't look at it directly in the eyes. This means that all the students must've seen it through something or maybe a reflection, according to this book." Said Harry. "But what?"

"Filch's cat Norris was the first victim. The corridor was flooded that night so she must've seen its reflection in the water!" Harry's eyes widened with realisation. "And Colin... he may have seen the basilisk through... his camera! He always carried it around, didn't he? It saved his life that day. Yes that's it!"

"What about Fletchley?"

"Justin Fletchley might have seen it through... he was with Nearly Headless Nick! He saw it through Nick! Hermione saw it through that mirror she was holding. Ron! We've got it! We figured it out mate!" Harry excitedly pounded Ron on the back, grinning widely, nearly yelling the words.

"Figured out what?" Both heads turned to see Sirius leaning against the door frame, his arms loosely crossed over his chest. "You two boys aren't up to any trouble now, are you?" The man gave both of them a suspicious look.

"No dad."

"No, sir."

Sirius seemed unconvinced but then he decided to trust Harry and nodded. Earlier that week, the Professors had spoken about Harry's dreams as well as the Occlumency lessons. It hadn't been all that great but at least the they were all informed now. So if any other student or Professors had nightmares, they'd know who was behind it all. "Good." He gave his son an affectionate wink and walked out.

"We're not getting into any trouble mate." Said Ron, seeing the guilty look on Harry's face. "I know Ron. I just hate lying to him, that's all. He's never lied to me ever, till date and I don't think it's fair if I keep hiding things from him." Harry admitted. "We'll tell the Professors what we know after we've figured out a bit more." Harry stated.

He'd promised his dad he'd stay out of anything dangerous. He'd already lied once and he hadn't liked it one bit. "Yeah. The last thing I want is my mum blistering my ears with all that shouting. She's got a big voice, you know." Harry snickered a little at that. Mrs. Weasley certainly had a loud voice. The howler was proof.

* * *

Although the two boys had found out about the basilisk, one question kept bugging Harry. _Where did it come from?_ Any place remotely conspicuous was out of the question. This monster was huge. There was no way it was able to come out of its hiding place, unnoticed.

There was only one possible explanation for all this. There had to be a secret passage or a chamber or something which was directly connected to the castle's pipes. That way, the basilisk could easily slither out of its hideout and into the pipes. That had to be the only way! _Where in the world could this room, also known as the Chamber of Secrets be?_

Harry hurried back to the Gryffindor boy's dormitory to find Ron going through one of the many reference books. Had the situation not been quite so serious, Harry would've burst out laughing. Never in his dreams had he imagined Ronald Weasley willingly reading a book. "Ron, listen to this."

He told the other boy about his idea about the secret, inconspicuous location of the Chamber of Secrets and his theory about how it opened into the pipes. Ron's eyes widened to the size of saucers by the time Harry was done. "Bloody hell mate! This is brilliant."

"Now all we've got to do is find out where could it be. Then, we'll tell the Professors." Said Harry. "Alright. Can we do the rest later? I could certainly use some sleep now, mate. All through History of Magic, Parvati kept going on to Lavender about how some bloke in fourth year didn't fancy her sister so Padma spent the entire day crying, in the bathroom. I swear, if I had to sit and listen to that for one more minute, my head would've exploded."

But, Harry had stopped listening the moment Ron had said the word 'bathroom'. Of course! How could they not have seen it before! Every single pipe in the castle was connected to the bathroom. And, there was only one bathroom in the entire castle that was always empty. No one ever went there so nobody noticed the monster come out and enter the pipes. Moaning Myrtle' bathroom. It all made sense now! That rumour about Myrtle was true then. She had died in that bathroom and never left! She had been killed by the basilisk!

"The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." It was a good thing that no one else was in the dormitory at that time because Harry's voice had risen to a shout. "We'll tell the Professors about it. First thing tomorrow morning."

"We need to do it right now, Ron. We can just go and tell dad." Harry said but Ron shook his head. "Harry, are you bloody out of your mind? Today's Thursday. Snape does the rounds tonight. If we run into him—which is highly likely, given our luck — he won't listen to a word of what we say. He'll probably toss us right into detention." Ron reasoned. As much as Harry didn't want to admit it, Ron was right. "Fine, we'll go tomorrow."

* * *

Harry awoke at around seven, the next day and quickly got dressed, Ron doing the same. It was still unusually early for them but this had to be done. They went to the Great Hall but to their utter dismay, the High table was vacant. Not a professor was present. That's when Harry realised that something was terribly wrong. Throughout Harry's two years at Hogwarts, there hadn't been a single day when that table was empty. His father was an early riser and was always up so why wasn't he here now? Where had all of them gone?

"Let's go to Dad's room and see if he's there." It was unlikely but right now, it was the only idea Harry had. He would take it over nothing.

They were on their way when Harry suddenly stopped. He could hear Mcgonagall's unmistakable voice, along with the others. "Mr. Potter hasn't told you anything, anything at all?"

"I've already told you everything. I spoke to Albus the other day about all that Harry told me. Even he was baffled. We couldn't make any conclusion about those voices. If Harry found out anything else, he'd tell me." Sirius replied impatiently. "I wouldn't be too sure about that, Black. We all know that the brat has a knack for getting into trouble." That was definitely Snape. Harry would recognise that horrible, deep tone even in his sleep. There was no reply from his father but he imagined Sirius giving Snape one of his most menacing glares.

"Well whatever the case may be, it's too late now." Said Mcgonagall, her voice grave. "What so mean it's too late now?" Sirius asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. "The Chamber of Secrets was opened last night, once again. This time however, no student was attacked."

"But?" Sirius knew from her tone that there was more to this. "The monster took the student with it. We found a message on that deserted third floor corridor."

"What did it say?"

"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever." A shudder ran down Harry's spine when he heard McGonagall. "The monster, whatever it is, it's not independent. Someone controls it." "Voldemort." That was Sirius. Among the Professors, other than Dumbledore, he was the only one who didn't fear the Dark Lord. "How do you know that Black?" "Well Snivellus, were you deaf or sleeping when I told you all about it the other day. I told you that I spoke to Albus but he knows nothing as well. All we know is that Voldemort tried to invade Harry's mind. That's why we started Occlumency. This is what you'll already know. Other than this, there's nothing else."

"He hasn't had any dreams after that?" Asked Mcgonagall. "None at all." Harry heard the Transfiguration professor sigh.

"Who was the student?" Sirius demanded, remembering Mcgonagall's previous words. "Ginny Weasley."

Beside him, Harry felt Ron sink to the ground with a barely audible whimper. "Isn't there anything that we can do? Surely, there has to be some way to save her." Sirius sounded despaired. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Black. If the girl's with the monster, she's as good as dead. With Albus away in this crucial period, there's nothing that we can do. We must inform her parents immediately."

"No, there has to be something that we can do to save her. I'm going to figure it out." The boy heard his father's approaching footsteps and came to his senses. "Ron come on," he hissed, grabbing Ron by the arm and hauling him off the floor. The other boy allowed himself to be dragged away, following his friend rather robotically. They were on their way to Sirius' quarters to wait for him when Ron wrenched himself free from Harry's hold. "Harry, the monster's got her. She must've known something important. That's why he took her. It'll kill her. We need to go and save her Harry."

The boy stared at his friend incredulously. "Are you mad? By ourselves? We'll be dead before you can say 'basilisk'. We need to tell dad. He'll help." Harry tried to reason with the redhead but Ron shook his head. "Didn't you hear Mcgonagall? The professors have given up. Even if we do tell your dad, the Professors would want to plan before actually going to rescue her. There's not enough time for that. She'll be gone by then."

Harry was torn. On the one hand, he didn't want to go ahead with Ron's idea. But, what if Ron was right and Ginny died? He still had a strong feeling to go and tell Sirius everything. He was sure his father would definitely help. Wasn't that what he was planning to do anyway? "I'm going on my own if you don't want to come."

That line was enough to change Harry's mind. There was no way he was going to let Ron rush into this recklessly on his own. "No bloody way. I'm coming with you." Consequences be damned. He had to do this. Without another moment's delay, the two of them rushed downstairs towards Myrtle's bathroom.

They found her moping inside a u-bend in one of the stalls. "Hello Harry, Harry's friend." She murmured, rising from her spot. "Have you come to live in my bathroom? You're welcome here." She said nonchalantly, batting her lashes at the two boys. "Um... no thank you. We just wanted to ask you something," said Harry. "Ask away."

"How did you die?"

Myrtle stopped floating around and looked Harry dead in the eye. "I don't know. The last thing I remember is seeing a big pair of yellow eyes right there." She pointed to one of the water taps and zoomed away.

The two of them made their way to the wash basin in question. Harry observed it from afar. It was ordinary, nothing remotely out of place or dangerous. But then when he leaned over to inspect the side, he saw it: there, on the old faucet was a small curled serpent.

They had found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Here it is Ron." He was full of trepidation. Ron's face was rather white as well but there was also a certain determination in his eyes. He needed to save his sister. "Open," Harry said. It was meant to sound confident but it came out as a squeaky whisper. Damn he was really afraid. Nothing happened, nothing at all. The serpent remained exactly where it had been and the entire bathroom was eerily silent.

"Why won't it open up? This is the entrance so it should work right?" Ron frowned. That's when Harry had an idea. " _Open up._ " Except that those weren't the words that he heard. A hissing sort of sound escaped Harry's mouth and at once, the serpent turned a brilliant green and uncurled itself. There was a grating sound as the wash basins were pulled back. Once the sound stopped, Harry looked down and saw an opening. He couldn't see the end of it and it was pitch dark inside.

"This is it Ron. You ready?" The other boy shook his head. "Not in the slightest. What about you?" Harry tried to quell the fear that was building up. "Not in the slightest."

"Let's do this."

With a deep breath Harry braced himself, Ron doing the same . Mentally counting to three, the two boys plunged into the darkness.

* * *

 **How was the chapter? Tell me you liked it, please? I'm nit sure when I'll update next but I'll do my best to make it quick. I love this story too much to not update.**


	23. Chapter 22: The Dark Lord

Sorry (not sorry) about the cliffhanger in the previous chapter! I just couldn't resist. To make up for that, here's a quick update. Enjoy!

Sirius knew something was wrong. He had caught Harry's scent outside the door, thanks to his Animagus abilities. If Harry had heard the conversation it meant that he was going to do something utterly foolish, brave and reckless.

He'd come outside to find them gone. That had been expected. The boy's scent got weaker and weaker before finally dissolving totally. He was angry at Dumbledore for deciding to leave now, in the hour of need. What could possibly be so bloody important that he had to leave now? The old man wasn't there and so, all the other Professors had given up but not him.

He wasn't Albus Dumbledore but he was Sirius Black and had been a senior Auror and that was good enough. He knew how much Harry liked the Weasleys and would be devastated if the youngest one died.

All Sirius could do now was hope that his son wasn't up to anything dangerous. He knew that wasn't likely because of the worry gnawing at his insides. Sirius went to the Great Hall to find that Harry wasn't there. He hadn't been surprised though. He couldn't think of any other place either. Sirius wanted to transform into Padfoot and track Harry's scent but there were so many students in the halls that it would be difficult, nearly impossible to sniff out one particular person.

He went to the Gryffindor common room but the boy was not there either. The man saw Fred and George sitting on a sofa, quietly talking. The look on their faces told him that they didn't know anything about their sister's disappearance. They wouldn't have to. Ginny wouldn't die. An idea suddenly popped up in his head. "Mr. Weasley, could you please give me the map," he said, approaching the twins.

Normally, the two of them would've made some funny comment but one look at Sirius' stormy eyes and taut expression shut them up. Wordlessly, George handed over the Marauder's map. "I just need it for a minute." Sirius added, seeing the disappointment on their faces.

He tapped the map with his wand and said the required words. His eyes scanned every inch of the map, trying to find the tag that said 'Harry Potter'. Sirius narrowed his eyes when he finally found the name. Both Harry and Ron were in Myrtle's bathroom. The Animagus remembered going there when he had been a student. The Marauders would go there to plan. It was an abandoned place so it was the best place to work out pranks. No one was there other than Moaning Myrtle and she more or less left them to their work.

What in the world were the two boys doing there?

Harry was falling. He couldn't make out anything in the darkness. The only thing he was very much aware of was that they were plummeting into the Chamber of Secrets at a million miles an hour. Their screams echoed through the endless darkness. His hand brushed against Ron's arm as he flailed to steady himself before they hit the ground. Not wanting to lose himself or his best mate in their pitch black surroundings, he grabbed the other boy's arm as firmly as he could.

Harry could hear Ron yelling something but wasn't able to make out the words. When he thought they would never reach the end, he saw a dim light coming from below. "RON! We've reached the end!" He screamed, hoping his friend would understand. As they neared the bottom, Harry's fingers found something narrow and long– like a pipe. To prevent themselves from falling face down onto the floor, Harry scrambled to find purchase against the rusted pipe.

He managed to get a grip on the metal. One hand gripped the pipe while the other held Ron's arm. Harry could make out the faint, old grey tiles from where they were hanging. The fall wouldn't kill them now since they were only five feet or so above the ground.

Unfortunately, the pipe that Harry was clinging to must have been quite old since it creaked loudly and gave way, unable to bear the weight of the two boys. It came crashing down along with the wall surrounding it. He yelped at the sudden impact when his feet hit the ground and winced in pain. The pressure on his right foot had been a little too hard. Tentatively, he took a step forward to check the extent of the pain. It wasn't too bad, thankfully. His elbow was bruised from where he had struck one of the rocks.

Beside him, he heard Ron grown loudly. Frowning, he pulled out his wand. "Lumos." Harry drew back at the sight before him. While Harry had gotten away with nothing more than a slightly sore ankle, Ron hadn't been so lucky. One huge chunk of the wall had squarely landed on his left leg. That had to have hurt. "Wingardium Leviosa." He levitated the piece of stone off his leg. He sucked in a sharp breath when he saw the condition of the abused limb. His trousers were torn from knee to ankle. It was bent the wrong way— definitely broken bones— and bleeding a little too much. There was a gash running down his lower leg where a jagged piece of the stone had cut into his leg.

Harry did not know a thing about healing spells. That was fifth year magic. There was no way Ron could walk or even stand with such an injury. "How bad does it hurt?" He asked, mentally berating himself for the dumb question. "Bad. I can't stand, Harry." To demonstrate, he tried to push himself up but gave up almost immediately.

Harry did the only thing he could think of. He tore a piece of his robe off and tied it around Ron's leg– to stem the bleeding as much as possible. It wasn't much but it was all that Harry could do. That's when he realised that the remainder of their adventure was solely in his hands. "Ron, you stay here. You can't come, not like this."

The other boy shook his head firmly. "I can't do that mate. She's my sister, I have to save her. I can't let you go in alone." He protested. "Ron, I know that and I understand where you're coming from but you cannot afford to harm your leg any more. Look, I promise you, Ginny will be alright. I'll find her." Harry tried to convince his best friend. Reluctantly, the redhead nodded and leaned back, trying to get his mind off his throbbing leg.

Squeezing his friend's shoulder reassuringly, Harry continued down the dim hall. The walls were lit with fire torches that flowed with a green flame. The tiles were rather slippery so he had to tread carefully. He walked quite the distance and when he looked over his shoulder, Ron was out of sight.

With a start he realised that this was the exact same corridor he had witnessed in his nightmare– the one in which he had heard Voldemort. That made him uneasy, to say the least. That had been Voldemort messing with his head. He couldn't actually be here, could he?

Harry had his wand out, just in case. All train of though left his mind when he saw a small figure lying a few feet away. Ginny. Dropping his wand, he ran over and knelt down. Her red hair stuck to her face and her eyes were shut. "Ginny, wake up. Ginny!" He called out, shaking her shoulders. She didn't budge a bit. The steady rise and fall of her chest was the only indication that she was alive.

Harry was so engrossed in trying to wake the girl that he didn't notice the tall boy in Hogwarts robes, walk up behind him and stealthily pocket his wand.

"Harry Potter."

Sirius arrived in the bathroom to find it empty but he found something else instead. Something completely unexpected. The washbasins which were always arranged in a circular pattern had given way to reveal a deep, large hole. The Chamber of Secrets. That was the only place the hole could lead to. This had to be the entrance. Harry and Ron had gone down by themselves. Worry and anxiety were the first emotions that hit him, followed by fear and then rage.

He had to get to the two boys. It had been about an hour since he had caught Harry's scent outside the door and given his son's history with danger, anything could happen in the short duration of one hour. He had to get to Harry and Ron as soon as possible. They had gone to rescue Ginny but now they were the ones that needed to be rescued.

There was nothing in that hole other than pitch blackness but he had to do this. Sirius braced himself and jumped inside. The fall was long but Sirius was ready. When he saw the ground, he thrust his right hand forward. "Arresto Momentum." With a soft thud, he landed.

He was completely unscathed and got up, taking in his surroundings. The walls had collapsed somehow and the dull light that illuminated the place only gave it an eerie appearance. He could make out a figure leaning against the debris and pulled out his wand. "Lumos." The man approached the person and let out a sigh of relief. He'd found one of them. Ron had his eyes scrunched shut, clearly trying to get his mind off some pain but was failing.

"Ron," Sirius gently shook the boy's shoulder to get him to open his eyes. His eyelids fluttered open and he looked at Sirius groggily before his expression morphed into one of relief. "Professor, you have to get to Harry. He's gone ahead, to save Ginny. Please professor, you have to get my sister." Ron pleaded, gripping Sirius' wrist.

"Don't worry. I'll get to her. But first, I need you to go back up and tell Minerva to send an owl to Albus." Sirius instructed. He worked quickly on Ron's injured leg. A simple terego got rid of the dried blood. "Vulnera Sanetur." The gash healed considerably but the bones were still broken. They would require professional care. Sirius helped Ron stand as best as possible.

Without allowing any room for argument, the man levitated Ron back up after promising him that Ginny would be safe. One boy in grave danger was more than enough. There was no need to endanger another.

Once he was sure that Ron had safely reached the top, Sirius sprinted down the corridor, his senses alert, looking out for Harry as well as any other danger.

He'd save his son.

Harry's head whipped around at the sound of his name. He stared at the newcomer cautiously. The person was inches away from Harry. He appeared to be about sixteen years old or so and although he was dressed in Hogwarts robes, Harry had never seen him before. He reached for his wand only to find it gone. "Who are you?" He demanded, keeping his voice even.

"She doesn't have much time left you know." The boy spoke casually but there was a certain condescending aura about him. His eyes were a dark brown–nearly black– and were devoid of any sort of emotion. "What do you mean she doesn't have much time left? What did you to her?"

"Me? I didn't do anything. She's here because of her own actions. Ginny, did some very bad things. She was the one behind all those petrified students." The boy replied. "She wouldn't do that. You're lying. Who. Are. You?"

"You've forgotten me? I'm wounded Harry, truly hurt." He pretended to be offended. "We had met only a few days ago and you've already forgotten me?"

"I don't know you. I've never seen you before." Harry remarked, wracking his brains to remember when he had seen this boy. "Oh but you have. We've met on quite a few occasions actually. You were a mere baby when I saw you for the first time. After that, I saw you last year when you prevented that fool Quirrell from getting to the Sorcerer's stone. And lastly, you and I had a little chat right here, a few days ago. Last time however, you were dreaming. Now, I assure you, you're not."

The last sentence made everything click. No, it couldn't be. There was absolutely no way this boy could be him. "No, you can't be. You're not him." Harry protested, hardening his tone. "Trust me Potter, I am."

"You made Ginny do it all, didn't you?" Harry accused. "Yes, yes I did. You got me." Voldemort said, smirking at him. A myriad of questions whirled about in Harry's mind. How did Voldemort do all this? How did he control Ginny? How was he standing in front of Harry if he was supposed to be gone?

"HARRY!" The boy tore his gaze from Voldemort's face to look past him and his heart lurched, both from reassurance as well as fear. Sirius. He was relieved that his father had come for him but afraid of what would follow. Now, they were both in Voldemort's lair.

Sirius pointed his wand at the boy, not sure about his identity. He sneaked a glance at Harry who looked utterly terrified as well as angry. He wanted to get to his son, hug him tightly, make sure he was alright and then take him to task for endangering himself.

But, the boy stood between them. "Ah Harry look! Your daddy's here. Come, come, do join us. The more, the merrier." Ignoring the 'invitation', Sirius fixed his eyes on his son. "Harry come here."

"No, don't do that. You're spoiling all the fun, Sirius. We, the three of us need to talk and dare I say, it's overdue."

"What do you mean we need to talk and how do you know my name? Who the hell are you?" Sirius asked, losing his patience. "The same questions again. Like father, like son. Harry, be a good boy and tell him who I am."

"Dad, this is... this is Voldemort." Harry whispered, he locked eyes with Sirius, warming him, begging him to run.

Harry's words stunned Sirius. That couldn't be true. But the look in Harry's eyes confirmed it. The boy blocking his way to Harry was indeed Voldemort. This was the very same person who had mercilessly murdered his best friend and orphaned his son. Any anger that he had at Harry evaporated when it struck him that Harry was currently in Voldemort's clutches. Except that this was who Voldemort had been before he assumed the title 'Dark Lord'. When he had started working as an Auror, he had looked into Voldemort's past and had found something. "You're Tom Riddle."

"Don't utter my filthy muggle father's name." Voldemort snarled and for the first time since their short meeting, Sirius found some trace of emotion–anger– flash across his face.

"Your wand won't help you. I'm a memory that's been carefully preserved in that diary that's tucked away in Harry's trunk. What diary? Sirius glanced at Harry who gazed back at him guilty. "Oh? He didn't tell you? My, my. Quite the wayward little miscreant, aren't you, Potter?"

"Neither of you can cause me any harm in here. This is my Chamber. I'm the heir of Slytherin."

Sirius didn't dare use his wand for fear of hurting Harry. They were standing inches apart and it would take Voldemort a fraction of a second to use Harry as a shield. He was in a compromising situation right now.

Sirius wasn't the only one to realise it. The Dark Lord smiled maniacally at Sirius' current state. Knowing that the man wouldn't attack, he yanked Harry forward roughly by his hair, digging the boy's own wand into his throat. Then, with a vicious grin, he swished his wand sharply, making a deep cut on Harry's cheek. "I asked politely but you refused to listen. Sit down. We need to talk."

Sirius' eyes darkened with rage. He couldn't even hex or fire any spells. "You fucking bastard! You let him go right now!" He advanced in their direction but was stopped immediately.

Voldemort clucked his tongue and leisurely moved ahead, dragging Harry along with him. "Don't take another step forward. You are in no position to make demands, Black. The more you resist, the more your precious little boy suffers." As if to emphasise his words, Voldemort pressed the wand deeper, causing Harry to cough painfully.

"Now, will you sit down or do I need to make myself clearer?" Clenching his teeth, Sirius sat down on one of the rocks, glaring at Voldemort in an almost animalistic way.

"How are you here?" Sirius spat, mentally trying to formulate a plan. "That's what I've been wanting to tell you all this while but you didn't want to listen. No matter, I'll tell you now."

Harry's scalp was burning with pain at the harsh grip on his hair. He'd given up struggling long ago. It only doubled the pain. "The diary helped me a great deal. Ginny would write in it everyday. She'd talk about all her silly, pathetic problems and how she had a crush on the famous Harry Potter. I listened to her when no one else would. She started confiding in me, letting out all her secrets. As she began trusting me, I made her do all my work. She wrote the message on the wall for the first time because I commanded her to. But then, she began to resist. When it became too much, she tried to get rid of the dairy. I'd already given her further instructions so it didn't matter all that much."

"When I ordered her to kill Harry, she fought back but I won. Naive, stupid little girl. Her mind was so weak that she didn't stand a chance. So, that day when Harry was alone in the corridor, she attacked him. I'd hoped that would do it but then the girl was useless. The kitchen knife that she stole from the house elves didn't cause much damage. She ran away with the knife after that. The blow to Potter's skull wasn't effective. She was weak. Later, I realised that little miss Weasley was a lost cause so I planned of get rid of her later. Then, I turned my attention to young Harry here. Now here we are."

"How did you get inside Harry's head?" Sirius demanded. "That was all thanks to the students of Hogwarts. As the victims increased, so did the fear. Students were terrified. Their fear only made me more powerful and thus I was strong enough to invade Harry's already weak mind. But then, you found a way to stop that, Black. Once those Occlumency lessons began, I found myself at a disadvantage. So, I took the Weasley girl. I knew that the daft boy would come for her."

"Foolish Potter walked right into my trap. Now that he's here, I can finish the task I started eleven years ago. Black, you came here to save your godson. Now, I can settle old scores. You were responsible for the loss of several of my loyal followers. You die as well."

With a particularly malign gleam in his eyes, Voldemort threw Harry onto the floor before turning his back to him. Harry scrambled off the floor and ran to his dad. "Dad, we have to—"

Sirius cut Harry off by hugging him fiercely. "I know Harry. We'll get out of here Harry." They heard Voldemort laugh. "Such a touching display of love. The most pathetic of all emotions. James Potter was so weak, so powerless against me. Did love help him? Lily—lovely Lily; she loved her son so much. Where did that land her? She could have saved herself but she didn't. And now, both James and Lily are de–"

"Stop it!" Sirius shouted, fury pulsing through his veins. The bloody bastard! He felt Harry shake against him from fear or anger, he wasn't sure. The last time he had lost his temper and acted rashly had resulted in severe consequences. He couldn't afford to do that now.

Voldemort raised his arms and chanted something. Sirius didn't understand it one bit. Parseltongue. As soon as the chanting stopped, the serpents on the big round door like structure uncoiled themselves and the heavy stone swung open. "Time to die."

Harry stood stock still, as he watched. There was nothing that he could do. Voldemort was unleashing the basilisk now. "Dad close your eyes!" Harry tightly shut his eyes, praying that Sirius had done the same. The only noise that disturbed the silence of the Chamber was a hissing sound. It grew louder with each passing second.

Harry's blood ran cold when he heard Voldemort's next words: "kill them." He felt Sirius grip his hand and pull him backwards. He channeled all his emotions into the hold on his hand that was the only thing keeping him together. He couldn't let the monster win. This was all his fault. If he had just waited and told Sirius everything, they wouldn't be here now. If Sirius died today, it would be his fault. He recalled Voldemort's words in his nightmare. "What would you do if he left you alone, like James and Lily." He recollected the hollowness inside him when he'd seen Sirius' dead body. His nightmare was unfolding itself before him. His father couldn't die.

Just then there was a loud squawking sound above his head and he hesitantly cracked an eye open. It was a bird. It's feathers were the colour of fire and its eyes were blazing as it neared Harry. A Phoenix. The bird dropped a hat at Harry's feet before flying away. The sorting hat.

"An old hat. That's what Dumbledore sends his champion. Pathetic."

The hissing was almost deafening now and Harry knew that the basilisk had entered the Chamber.

Sirius heard the hissing as well as Harry's warning to keep his eyes closed and that's when the pieces fell into place. The horror within the Chamber was a basilisk. Harry had known but he hadn't told him. Why? He felt frustrated and angry about it. How many times had he told Harry to stop keeping things from him?

Sirius had fought Voldemort himself in the Wizarding War and had lived to tell about it. He'd done it once, surely he could do it once again; this time for Harry.

He racked his brains for any clue, any inkling about the kind of magic Voldemort had spoken about. By describing his plans, he'd unintentionally let out a hint. He wasn't real. He was nothing more than a mere memory that had been stored in that diary for the past few decades.

The diary was the answer!

Voldemort was here, solely because of that blasted diary! If he could somehow get to the diary and destroy it, they'd be out of this bloody mess for good. Sirius blindly reached forward for the sorting hat. If Dumbledore had sent it, there had to be some reason for it.

But for the moment, they had to out run it. Sirius cracked an eye open and saw the shadow of the creature behind them. "Harry move!" He didn't need to tell the boy though. The two of them ran leftwards, jumping over the pieces of rock that had been scattered. "Dad, over there!"

Harry was pointing towards an opening int he wall. It was large enough for a person but not for the massive snake. "Come on!" Sirius led them towards it and pushed Harry inside before climbing in himself. They took cover behind a wall. They were temporarily safe. Now, they just needed to find a way to get rid of the basilisk.

"We need to find a way to kill the basilisk. Magic won't work." Said Harry. Sirius pulled out the sorting hat and examined it. "Dad, why did Dumbledore send this?"

"I don't know Harry. They're has to be some strong reason behind it." He looked at it all over, trying to find something- anything that would help but was disappointed. Frustrated, Sirius threw the old black hat down. As if on cue, the hat glowed a brilliant red. When the glow subsided, there was a ruby encrusted hilt sticking out of the hat. Frowning, the man tugged on the hilt and out came a sword. Pure silver, about three feet long and just beneath the hilt, engraved into the blade were the words: Godric Gryffindor. It was the sword of Gryffindor.

Sirius gasped when he read the name. He'd only seen the legendary sword of Gryffindor in the books that he'd read. It was supposed to have been lost for centuries. Dumbledore hadn't sent them a hat, he'd sent them a path.

Sirius knew what he had to do. "Listen to me Harry. We don't have that diary right now. That would've made everything simpler. We could've just destroyed it and it would all be over. Now I have to do this the other way. I'm going to go out and distract the basilisk. I'll kill it. I need you to stay hidden. You can't get in anymore danger." Harry shook his head frantically. "Dad no! You can't go out there. Not alone. I can't lose you, not now, not ever. I'm coming too!"

There was no way he would let his father get hurt or worse. This was all his fault. If he hadn't been so bloody reckless, none of this would've happened. Voldemort was right: he was truly daft. Sirius' razor sharp voice cut his train of thoughts. "Absolutely not, Harry James! Look, I'll be alright. I've done this kind of thing before but I need you to stay here. We need to get Ginny and get out of here. Promise me you'll stay in here. Promise me!"

"I promise." Harry whispered after what felt like ages. The helplessness of his predicament came crashing down on him. He threw his arms around Sirius in a hug, not wanting to ever let go. His father's hand rested on his head, lightly stroking it. After a bit, Sirius reluctantly released him. "I'll be back, I promise." And after that, his dad was gone.

Harry felt truly miserable. He slid to the floor and hoped his father was fine. That's when he noticed something else inside the sorting hat, something that hadn't been there before: an old leather bound book. The diary. Sirius had told him that they needed to destroy the diary. It was right here in his hands. He had to get it to him. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing while his dad was outside, fighting. He climbed out of the opening, gripping the diary firmly.

Sirius held the sword up, ready to swing any minute. His animagus instincts were heightened, his ears straining to hear any slithering or hissing. His eyes kept darting from the ground to the wall and back, searching for even a hint of the basilisk's shadow. There was no sign of Voldemort so Sirius assumed that the noseless bastard was probably waiting for his monster to do his dirty work.

His muscles tensed immediately when he heard a soft hiss to his right. He's done something similar once when he'd been away on an Auror mission. He could do this again. Focus. He scoured his mind for any useful information that he had collected while cooped up in the Black library in an attempt to avoid his horrible family. He'd read a lot and there had been something about such a monster. Not a basilisk but another demon: a Greek myth. Medusa. If Sirius wasn't mistaken, she had been killed by a Greek hero named Perseus. That's what he had to do now.

There was a rock wall surrounding him and the monster. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of black scales. Time for some action. Sirius ran towards the wall, sword in one hand. It was difficult to climb with only one hand but he managed it. Thankfully, the jutting rocks proved very useful since they made very good footholds and supports.

He felt the basilisk right behind him, slithering up the wall and he quickened his pace. He couldn't slow down nor could he afford to stop for even a second. Sirius continued to scale the stone as best as he could. The sharp rock cut into his leg but he kept going. He reached the top and braced himself to jump. If he had estimated correctly, the snake must be more than halfway up. Sirius poised his sword, ready to bring it down any second.

3...2...1...He closed his eyes and jumped.

He stabbed the basilisk right between the eyes. There was a disgusting squelch so he assumed that he'd done it right. He tightened his grip on the sword as he felt the beast writhing in pain. The impact was too painful for the snake and it fell backward, taking Sirius with it. Using the sword that was still embedded inside the basilisk as a handle he leapt downwards, dragging the sword through the monster, severing it in half.

A searing pain exploded in his left arm while sliding down as the basilisk sunk its fangs into him in a last minute attempt to kill its destroyer.

"Dad!" Harry watched in horror as Sirius staggered from the effects of the bite and ran forward. He had appeared just in time to see the basilisk die and sink its fangs into his father. No, no, no! This couldn't be happening!

"I told you your nightmare will come true, Potter." Harry turned around and saw Voldemort. "Your basilisk is dead. You lost." Harry snapped, glaring at him.

"Did I? Look around you. You are defenceless, I have the means to kill you and your father is hurt. Hasn't anyone ever told you Potter? Never play with the devil. He always wins." Voldemort smirked victoriously and twirled Harry's wand between his fingers. "My beast couldn't kill you but don't worry. I will. Both of you."

"No you won't." In a fit of anger, he pulled out the diary. The Dark Lord's smile faltered. "How did that get here? What are you doing Potter? Stop it!" But unfortunately for him, it was too late. Harry pulled the blade from Sirius' hand and drove the blade into the diary and did it again.

Voldemort let out a terrible scream before collapsing onto the floor, his visage a combination of terror, pain and rage. And then he was gone.

Harry turned his attention to Sirius who looked a little pale. The poison was slowly spreading so they needed to get back quickly. "Dad!"

"I'm okay, Harry. I can hang on for a bit more. Come, let's get to Ginny and leave." Sirius said and they did just that. Ginny was lying exactly where they'd found her.

She was alive and completely fine. Sirius picked her up and with a few simple spells, the three of them were out of the Chamber and heading upwards towards the castle. Exhausted form their adventure, now that all the excitement was over, Harry started feeling drowsy, only half focusing on his surroundings.

Before he knew it, they were in the hospital wing. He heard Madam Pomfrey's voice and was directed to a bed. He accepted the potions that were offered without complaint and swallowed them.

The last thought that entered Harry's mind before he fell asleep was that he was in big, major trouble with Sirius.

He might've survived Voldemort but a displeased father was going to be far more difficult.

There's your update. I'm pretty sure most of you know what's going to happen in the next chapter. Even I'm excited to upload it soon.

If any of you want to read about Sirius and Harry, you'll can check out my other story Padfoot and his Pup. It's basically a collection of one shots.


	24. Chapter 23: Discussions

**Here's your chapter. I really enjoyed writing this. Hope you guys will enjoy reading it. Don't forget to R &R!**

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Sirius flexed his arm and was satisfied when the pain was negligible. Madam Pomfrey had healed it almost completely and now all that remained were two fang shaped imprints on his arm. Harry was still asleep from the effects of the potions. He strolled over to the boy's bed and brushed the hair away from Harry's eyes. The slash that Voldemort had made on Harry's cheek had been reduced to a faint scar. Tracing the faint white line with his finger, he recalled the rage that he had felt when Tom Riddle had hurt Harry. Anger. That was one of the main emotions in Sirius' mind at present. There was anger at Voldemort for harming Harry, anger at his son for recklessly rushing into danger and lastly, anger directed towards himself for not getting to his pup sooner.

Poppy told him that it would take another half an hour or so for Harry to wake up so he went back to his quarters, took a nice hot shower and pulled on a fresh set of robes. He felt much better already. When he came outside, there was a letter waiting for him on his nightstand. He opened it and read through the contents. It was a letter from Rufus Scrimgeour, head of the Auror department. It was an invitation, more of a request actually, to rejoin as an Auror. Sirius knew what his answer would be this time.

Well, one more issue to discuss with Dumbledore. Sirius tucked the letter into his pocket and went back to the hospital wing. Harry should've woken up by now.

* * *

Harry was currently sitting on the bed, feeling alright. He brushed his fingers against his cheek where Voldemort had cut it and felt only a small cut. His elbow had been bandaged where he'd banged it against the rock.

He was fine on the outside. On the inside, it was a whole different story. To say that he wasn't looking forward to the conversation between him and Sirius would be understating things. He had absolutely no explanation for what he and done. The only good part of his adventure was that everyone had been relatively unhurt.

There was a knock against the doorframe and Harry looked up to see Sirius standing there. Harry braced himself for his dad to come inside and start yelling. He expected nothing short of a very vocal telling off. "Ron and Ginny are fine." Of all the things he'd expected his father to say, this wasn't one of them. "Poppy said you can leave in an hour or so. We need to go and talk to Dumbledore after that. He retrieved this for you." Sirius placed Harry's wand on the table beside the bed. The room was silent for a few minutes.

"I shall admit, I didn't expect this from you." Harry almost sighed with relief when Sirius said that. Finally. The distant way in which his father was talking to him was unnerving. "I'm so–"

"I'm not quite finished yet Harry. I've only just started. So please, listen." Gulping, Harry nodded. "First of all, I want to tell you that I'm proud of what you did to save Ginny. The same cannot be said regarding the way you went about it. You didn't tell me about the diary. I got that from Voldemort. Voldemort of all people! Imagine Voldemort telling me things that are supposed to come from you. How many times have we discussed this Harry James? You're not to keep things from me. I've never done that to you, neither have I ever lied to you. Yet you do it. Repeatedly."

"I'm sorry, Dad." Harry whispered. He was pretty sure that they weren't even halfway through and he felt horrible already. The sharpness in his father's voice was something he rarely heard but never wanted to hear again.

"Are you? I really don't think so. I've lost count of the number of times I've told you to stay out of danger. We've been over this a lot and yet young man, here we are, having this discussion. Again. What do I have to do to make you understand that what you did– what you always do, is not okay!"

Sirius wasn't yelling but looking at the sadness in his eyes, Harry was sure that it would've been better if his father yelled at him.

"What you did today, was definitely by far, the most foolish thing you've ever done. You lied to me about the basilisk. You knew and yet you did not bother telling me about it. I told the Professors that you would tell me if you knew anything. I feel like such an idiot right now." Sirius shook his head and let out a humourless laugh. "I want to know why, why in the world did you not tell me. Did you think I wouldn't believe you? That I would not listen? There has to be a reason for it. Why Harry?"

Harry had no just answer for that question. "I thought I'd tell you everything once we had discovered it all." That was all he could say. "And yet you didn't." Sirius shook his head and sighed. "This is not done Harry, it's just not done. I thought you trusted me."

"I do, Dad. I really do." Harry tried to reassure his dad. He trusted Sirius, more than anybody else. He didn't know whatever had made him lie to Sirius about the basilisk. He truly was sorry.

"You didn't tell me about the diary, you lied about the snake and you rushed away. Anything else I need to know?" Looking at his bedcovers, Harry shook his head. He had known that he'd be in trouble after his foray but that didn't make it hurt any less. "Look at me please. I caught you and Ron outside the door but by the time I could come out, the two of you were gone. That's when I knew something was horribly wrong. Why would you not come to me? I would've helped you save Ginny. You heard me outside didn't you? So that means you fully well knew that I was planning to save her. Yet again, you did not tell me anything. Why?"

"I wasn't thinking, Dad." Harry whispered. Wrong thing to say.

"That's exactly what you always do! You never think!" Sirius snapped, losing his patience. "You didn't think about how badly you and Ron could've been hurt when you both jumped into the Chamber. You didn't think that it was all just a trap and that you fell right into it. And you most certainly did not think about what would have happened to me if you hadn't come back."

The last sentence really drove the message home. He'd been so stupid. How could he not have thought about how his Dad would've felt if he had died. A mere dream of Sirius' death had shaken Harry to the very core. He could only imagine how his father must've felt, knowing that he was in grave danger.

"You didn't think about any of these, did you, young man?" Harry winced at the tone of Sirius' voice. It didn't matter whether he was twelve or one hundred and twenty years old. That tone would always have the same effect on him. "No, sir." He mumbled, lowering his gaze. He'd promised Sirius he'd stop risking his life and he had done just the opposite.

"I know it's a little too late for this but I want you tell me everything. Every single thing about how all this started. The last time I asked you, you only spoke about the voices. I'd approached you, repeatedly, inquiring if there was anything else but you denied it. Now, you are going to tell me nothing but the complete truth. You're in enough trouble already, so I suggest you don't lie anymore."

Harry did as he was told. He spoke about how it all began: From Dobby's visit. He didn't leave out a single detail this time.

"I see. We need to go and meet Dumbledore later and explain the events to him as well. Your school year ends in three days. They've decided to close early this year because of everything that's happened." Sirius continued. He moved forward and sat down on the bed, facing him. In spite of his anger at Harry, he leaned forward and kissed the boy's forehead, thankful that he was safe. "You have absolutely no idea how worried I was when I found out what you and Ron had done. You're my son, Harry James. I can't lose you."

It was too much for Harry. He lunged and threw his arms around his father's neck. "I'm sorry, Dad! I'm really, really sorry. Don't be mad at me. You're right, I shouldn't have gone off like that." He felt himself shaking against Sirius. He'd messed up horribly this time. His dad's arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly. "Promise me that you'll never do something like this again. If anything ever happens, the first thing you will do is come straight to me. I want to know if something is bothering you. You need to understand that you're not alone. You're going to stop lying to me, for good. Stop keeping things from me. I need to know that I can trust you, Harry. Asking for help doesn't make you weak. Promise me that you won't lie to me ever again."

Sirius pulled back and looked Harry in the eye. There was a certain hardness in the stormy grey orbs that revealed the seriousness of this particular request. Harry nodded sincerely. The look in his dad's eyes scared him. "I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." Sirius' expression softened. "Now, you know I can't simply let all this slide. There will be consequences."

Harry wanted to point out that Sirius could let it slide but thought it would be an unwise comment. Besides, he deserved it. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take your broom away for a while. Once we get home, you're grounded for the next two weeks. I'm sure I can find some work to keep you busy."

Harry stared at his dad, horrified. He had no doubt that 'work' meant cleaning around the place. He knew that Black Manor was huge and there would be several rooms that required cleaning. "But Dad, summer's only just about to begin. It'll be no fun at all. You can't ground me during summer!" He surprised even himself. He'd never argued like this before.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at his son. He marvelled at how quickly Harry went from looking like a scolded puppy to a put out adolescent. "Can't I? This is to ensure that you don't even think of trying something like this ever again. You are grounded. That's final. And it's a punishment. It's not supposed to be fun."

Harry's shoulders sagged but he nodded nonetheless. He knew that once his father's mind was made up, there was no changing it. "Alright." "There's a good lad." Sirius ruffled his hair before conjuring a set of robes for Harry. "Put them on. We need to go and see Dumbledore in a bit. I'll be outside. Poppy needs to give me some potions. Before we go to his office, let's go to my quarters. I'm sure you remember what I told you would happen if you lied."

Harry accepted the robes from his dad who then moved towards the door. "Dad, I really am sorry."

Sirius stopped at the door and turned to look at Harry. "I know Pup, I know. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. You're still grounded and you're still going to get your mouth _scourgified_."

With a groan, Harry threw his head back against the pillows. Sirius was just too smart.

* * *

Harry decided that soap tasted absolutely disgusting. They'd gone back to Sirius' chambers where his mouth had been washed out for a whole minute. It had been absolutely horrible. Although it had only been a minute, Harry had felt it would never end. By the time his one minute was up, he was nearly in tears. He'd apologised again, half sobbing. His dad had forgiven and comforted him of course and the slate had been wiped clean. The one thing he had definitely learned from his little adventure was to never lie to his father. Nothing good ever came from it.

Currently, they were on their way to Dumbledore's office. "Now remember, the whole story. No omissions and certainly no more lies." Sirius prompted as the Gargoyle sprang aside to grant them way. "I know, dad." Harry replied.

Sirius was upset with Dumbledore, to say the least. What sort of headmaster left his school unprotected in the face of such danger? The door was open so they walked inside.

"Ah Harry, Sirius, please do come in. I've been waiting for you." He smiled genially at the duo. Harry offered a smile in return but Sirius only nodded curtly. They seated themselves on the opposite side of the desk. "Sirius, first of all, I must thank you profusely for what you did. I owe great thanks to you as well, Harry. What both of you'll did was nothing short of an exemplary display of courage. Not many would have had it in them to do what you did. As for the sword of Gryffindor, only a true Gryffindor could have pulled it out. That's what you are, both of you. It's in a safe place now."

Beside him, Sirius saw Harry's face and ears turn a deep shade of red at the praise. He inwardly smiled at his boy. "What's shocking is how an innocent young girl was pulled into this." The old man remarked with a sigh.

"Don't underestimate the allure of darkness. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it." Sirius quipped and it couldn't have been more true. "Wise words indeed. I'll keep that in mind. Now, if you would be so kind as to enlighten me with the details, Harry."

For the second time that day, Harry launched into the entire explanation. Dumbledore listened carefully, nodding every now and then. "Harry, when you destroyed this diary, you destroyed Voldemort's very presence in the diary thereby weakening him considerably. He's in an extremely weak state now and won't be able to do anything for quite a long time. But I must ask, how did Miss Weasley find the diary in the first place? It is highly unlikely that such a dark object would get into the hands of an innocent girl unless someone deliberately did it."

Both Sirius as well as Dumbledore looked at Harry expectantly but he was at a loss. Suddenly the office door was thrown open and Lucius Malfoy strode in with a house elf shuffling behind him. Malfoy stiffened when he saw Sirius sitting in one of the stuffed chairs, recalling their last meeting. Harry gasped when he saw the elf. It was the same one that and appeared in his bedroom all those months ago. "Dobby? What are you doing here?"

Malfoy looked first at his elf them at Harry and back. "I'll deal with you later." The creature whimpered, clutching at its pillowcase. "Dumbledore, I see you're back." The old man smiled serenely at Malfoy. "Indeed I am, Lucius. The board of Governors never wanted me gone. They said it was you who brought up the idea."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at the blonde. Of course he'd try something like this. Some people never learn. The Slytherin sniffed haughtily and glared at the headmaster. "Master Malfoy sir, look, your diary!" the house elf—Dobby— suddenly exclaimed, pointed at the old journal on the desk. "Quiet!" He snapped, striking the house elf across the face with his cane.

Sirius felt a wave of disgust in him at the way the other man treated his house elves. But then another thought struck him. "Dobby, what did you mean by Malfoy's diary?" He asked, turning to the house elf.

"The elf is lying. It knows nothing." The blonde hurriedly interjected. "Shut up Malfoy. I'm talking to your house elf, not you. Don't speak unless spoken to. Now, Dobby, what did you mean?" He heard Harry stifle a laugh at the way Malfoy turned red.

Dobby nervously looked at Sirius and then at his master. There was anger in his eyes, warning the house elf to remain silent otherwise the results would be bad. But then, a certain determination replaced the fear in those large eyes. "Sirius Black sir, Master Malfoy asked Dobby to put the diary on Miss Weasley's bed. Dobby felt horrible sir but he had to obey his master's wishes sir."

"Very well. Thank you Dobby, you've been immensely helpful." Sirius replied. He then stood and drew himself up to his full, impressive height. He had an inch or two over the other man. He'd always had a strong suspicion that despite whatever Malfoy had said about the Dark side, he still belonged there. "So you're the one behind all this? You were the one that gave Ginny the diary, albeit indirectly. I now know where your loyalties lie. I had warned you, Malfoy."

"The elf doesn't know what it is saying." He repeated but the beads of perspiration on his forehead spoke otherwise. "House elves don't lie Malfoy. You and I both know that."

The anger flared in Lucius' eyes but it was clearly fake. A defensive move to draw their attention away from the current topic. "You place a house elf's words above my own? How dare you question my honour, Black."

Sirius merely smirked in response. "That's Lord Black to you, Malfoy. Its high time you learnt to respect your superiors. And no, I'm not questioning your honour. I'm just denying its existence."

Malfoy's normally white face turned red at that. A taste of his own medicine. He was so used to belittling people. For once, he was on the receiving end.

"I told you to stay away. You didn't listen. I've had it it with you, Malfoy. Clearly, just warnings aren't enough. You can walk out now, I won't stop you. I have a little surprise for you. It'll be delivered to your door in a few days. In the mean time, I suggest you enjoy yourself. It won't last, I assure you." Without another glance at Malfoy, Sirius returned to his seat.

"What do you mean surprise?" The man's voice sounded shaky and lacked conviction. "I'd be ruining it if I told you about it. All in good time. Run along now."

Malfoy stood still for a few seconds before coming to his senses. He tried to regain his composure and prodded the house elf in the back with his cane. "Come, Dobby."

"That answers your question Albus." said Sirius, turning to Dumbledore. "It does, Sirius. It does. Once again, I thank the both of you for what you did for this school, in my absence. I can see that you are upset with me for leaving in the hour of need, Sirius and rightly so. It wasn't my intention to do so. But, as you just heard Mr. Malfoy, I was compelled to leave. I needed to clear the matter of my removal immediately. It had to be done in secret and for that, I apologise." Sirius nodded his acceptance with a small smile. "I suppose I was too harsh."

Harry had been silent all the while. His mind still reeling from the cruelty that Dobby had to suffer. Nobody deserved that kind of treatment, not even house elves. Sirius treated his house elf properly and made sure that Harry did so as well.

In a way, he owed Dobby. The house elf had tried to save his life —even though it hadn't gone as planned. His intentions towards Harry had been good. He needed to free Dobby from Malfoy's viciousness. With a start, he realised that he'd been staring at the diary and an idea popped into his head. "Professor, would you mind if I borrow this?" He asked, pointing at the diary. "Of course not my boy. It's of no use now."

"Thank you, sir." He pocketed the item and headed towards the door. "Harry, where are you going now?" Sirius asked, confused. "I'll be back, Dad. Just give me two minutes."

And with that, Harry was gone.

"Albus, I need to talk to you about something. A letter arrived today. From Rufus Scrimgeour."

* * *

The moment Harry was outside the office, he pulled off his tie and shoved it in between the pages of the diary. He ran down the stairs and the corridor, trying to find Malfoy and Dobby. When he finally caught up with them, he called out. "Mr. Malfoy, wait! You forgot this."

The man turned around to glare at Harry. "It's not mine." He asserted but Harry shook his head. "Oh but it is. Here you go." He held out the diary and as expected, Malfoy snatched the diary from Harry and thrust it into Dobby's chest. "Come." He snapped at his house elf but Dobby didn't follow.

When Malfoy noticed this, he whipped around and glowered at the elf. "Did you not hear me you useless imbecile! I said–" he stopped abruptly when he saw what Dobby was holding. The creature stared at the tie with awe. "Master has presented Dobby with clothes. Dobby is a free elf."

"Where did you–" he then noticed that Harry didn't have his tie on. "You did this." He spat. "I didn't do anything Mr. Malfoy. You freed your house elf. You're free now, Dobby." Harry turned to smile at him.

Malfoy knew better than to attack Harry. With one last look of pure loathing at Harry, he turned swiftly and walked away. Dobby looked at Harry with nothing short of fascination. "Harry Potter has freed Dobby. Thank you, Harry Potter."

"You deserved to be freed Dobby. They weren't treating you well." Harry replied. "So where will you go now?" He asked. "Dobby does not know sir. Dobby wants to work but he also wants something else."

"What do you want?" Harry asked, his own curiosity peaked. The elf beckoned Harry to lean down and whispered. "Payment." Then he looked around like he had said something offensive. But Harry didn't think it was so bad. That's when another idea came to him. "Dobby, how would you like to come and work at my house? I promise no one will hurt you there. You'll get paid as well. I'll ask Dad if it's alright with him."

If it were possible, Dobby's eyes became even wider. "You is very kind Harry Potter. Dobby will come." The boy grinned widely. "Great. I'll talk to Dad, come on."

They found Sirius in one of the corridors that Harry had just used to get to Malfoy. "Dad! Can Dobby come and work for us? He's a free elf now. I asked if he wanted to come and he said yes. Can he come? Pleease?" Harry pleaded, giving Sirius the best puppy eyes that he could muster. "He's free? But I thought h–"

"He used to work for Malfoy. But then I..." he narrated the entire incident to his father. Sirius laughed when he heard the end. "You clever little scamp!"

"Can he come? I'll pay him from my own allowance." Harry promised. Sirius pretended to think before nodding. "Alright. He can come. Don't worry about paying him. I'll take care of that. You'll have your hands full with other matters." With an exaggerated cry, Harry buried his face against Sirius' chest. The man asked Dobby to apparate to Black Manor where he'd find their house elf Becky.

"Now come on, let's get to the Great Hall. Lunch time."

* * *

The next day, Hermione and the other victims were healed. Ron's leg was back to normal and it all turned out fine. The Weasleys were notified that their daughter was perfectly alright. Mrs. Weasley had thanked Sirius and Harry profusely for saving her daughter's life before turning her ire at her youngest son for his recklessness.

Exams were cancelled because of everything that had happened and everyone was promoted with an average grade. Gryffindor had won the house cup with a whooping nine hundred and thirty six points. "This year was exciting wasn't it?" Hermione commented as they sat in their compartment, taking the train back to King Cross station. "It was. But that doesn't mean I'm happy with it. My mum and dad were furious."

"Same here, I'm grounded for two weeks." Harry grumbled. "Two? That's it? Merlin mate, Professor Black is bloody brilliant! I'm grounded for an entire month!"

"That's too bad. Its really sad you know. He's not coming back next year to teach. He told me yesterday." Harry truly did feel disappointed. His dad wasn't going to be around next year at school. Sirius would be rejoining as a Senior Auror.

"That is sad. He was my favourite professor. But, both of you earned the grounding. You two boys should know better than to recklessly run off like that." Hermione pointed out although the smile completely gave her away.

The train pulled up at platform 9 & 3/4 after about an hour and they got off. "Harry, Ron, both of you must write to me. Do you holiday homework on time." She told them. "Yes ma'am." Both of them replied in unison, grinning. "Oh stop it you two." She pulled her two best friends into a hug. "I've to go now. My mum and dad are here. Don't forget to write. Bye!" And after that she left.

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Sirius get off the train from the professor's compartment and smiled. The man noticed him and beckoned him over. Like last year, he was going home. Except this year, he wasn't afraid. He was eager to go home.

No lessons, nasty Professors or detentions. Just him and his father along with several visits from his friends. He said goodbye to Ron as well after promising to visit. "So Pup, are you ready to leave?"

"Absolutely." Harry decided that this summer was going to be totally brilliant. After the first two weeks had passed, of course. Until then, it was going to be pure torture.

 _Good luck, Harry._


	25. Chapter 24: The Allure of Darkness

"YES!" Harry exclaimed as they apparated to Black Manor. He was finally home. No more waking up at seven everyday for lessons. He could sleep as much as he wanted, read all the magazines that he had and pretty much have a blast. After the excruciatingly long two weeks had passed.

"Pup, I know that you're overjoyed to be home. First, go and unpack your trunk. You can prance around the place later." said Sirius, grinning broadly. One year ago, Harry had started living with him. The difference between how he had been then and how he was now couldn't have been more visible.

"Unpack? Dad, no! Don't do this to me. I've traveled long and far to come home and you send me straight to my room? Please, lunch first." Harry clasped his hands together dramatically. Rolling his eyes at the boy's antics, Sirius reached forward and flicked Harry's ear. "Drama Queen," he commented fondly. "Alright we can have lunch first."

For lunch, Becky had prepared Harry's favourite ravioli. Dobby was also there, with Harry's tie in a knot around his middle. "Now you unpack." said Sirius once the plates had been cleared away.

* * *

The next day, Harry's punishment officially began. After lunch, Sirius led him to the library where he was asked to arrange all the books in proper order.

"All of them? Dad, this library is as large as the one at Hogwarts. I'll never be able to finish it." He protested, staring at the seemingly endless piles of books that loomed over him, as though taunting him. "Harry, there's no room for negotiations here. You will do it. Besides, a good deal of the shelves are already in sequence. You just need to attend to the ones that are not. Do this and you are done for the day."

"Fine, I'll get to it. But this is the most boring job ever." He grumbled. "If you think this is bad, I suggest you mentally brace yourself. You have lots more coming your way." Harry groaned at Sirius' words. "But I said I was sorry. I'll never ever do it again." He tried to convince his father but in vain. Sirius shook his head firmly. Sighing, he got to work without further argument.

As Harry had predicted, the job was truly and utterly boring. He didn't think he had ever felt so bored. It was a tedious procedure. He had to pull down all the books, sort them according to their volumes after which he had to stack them back in the correct shelves. With a grunt, he lifted a copy of ' _An advanced study in Draconology_ : _Volume_ _XXI_ ' and placed it where it belonged. It had taken him nearly four hours to finish the task assigned.

Harry swore to himself that at the end of these two weeks, the very thought of anything dangerous would make him shiver. Not for the actual danger, but for the aftermath.

He was exhausted from all the work but not particularly sleepy. "Dad, I swear I'll never do it again. I'll never even think of danger or anything even remotely close to it." Harry said, while they ate dinner. "Well I'm glad you think like that." Was what he said.

Later, after dinner the two of them were playing chess when Harry yawned rather loudly. Sirius glanced at the clock. "You know, when you were a baby, getting you to sleep was an ordeal. It drove people around you crazy." Sirius commented with a smile. "Putting you to bed wore me out more than any Auror mission. You simply refused to sleep." "So what would you do?" Harry asked, curiosity colouring his words.

Smiling, Sirius cleared away the chess board and patted Harry's pillow. "Lie down and I'll show you." Harry looked suspiciously at his dad. "I'm not going to tickle you, don't worry." Sirius promised with a grin. Laughing, the boy lay down on his stomach.

Grinning mischievously, the man attacked Harry's sides. The pup yelped and turned around to glare at him accusingly. "Dad!" He whined. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist." said Sirius before he gently pushed Harry down. "Believe it or not, you actually enjoyed being ticked as a baby."

"I highly doubt that." Harry replied. He felt strong fingers massage his shoulders and neck. It worked better than any lullaby. Within minutes, he was falling asleep. The last thing he felt was a kiss on his forehead. "G'night, Dad." He mumbled. "Sleep tight pup, I love you."

* * *

The next few days passed in a similar fashion. His father had been right. Harry was busy. In the course of two weeks, he and cleaned his wardrobe, scrubbed the floors, swept them and his grounding was finally over.

He thought about his desk and smiled sheepishly to himself. On one of the days, he'd taken a parchment and written on it with bold letters: I'LL NEVER RISK MY LIFE AGAIN. He'd done that one on his own.

Ron had come over and he couldn't have been happier. He loved his dad more than anyone else but he missed his best friends as well. Both he and his best mate had pleaded with Mrs. Weasley to end Ron's grounding and after much persuasion, she had relented.

"So that thing you were learning, whats it called again? Occlincy or something like that, are you still doing it?" Ron asked, as they lazily flew circles in the sky. Ron had borrowed one of the spare brooms and currently, both of them were up in the air, leisurely flying and spending an afternoon doing absolutely nothing.

"Occlumency and no. Dad said I could do with a break. We'll continue sometime later." Harry replied. "We can play some quidditch after lunch. There's a pitch on the other side of the had it done before we could come home. Fred and George can come as well. It'll be brilliant." Harry offered. Ron was staying over at his house for the weekend so it would be a great idea.

"You have your own Quidditch pitch? You're bloody lucky mate! All this place and you're free to do whatever you like. It's brilliant! Wish I were you." It was an offhand remark but Harry noted something in Ron's voice that the hadn't ever heard before. Envy. What Ron had said wasn't true. Sure, Sirius gave him nice things but that wasn't why he loved living with him. It was beyond material possessions. He wouldn't have minded if Sirius hadn't given him a room, new clothes, magazines or anything for that matter. It was the sense of security that his father provided. He was always loved and cared for whenever Sirius was around, even if that love was in the form of two weeks worth grounding. Harry didn't understand why Ron was jealous.

In fact, he had been envious of his best friend all through his first year. When he had boarded the Hogwarts express for the first time, the scene at the station had nearly made him cry. A lot of hugs and kisses had been exchanged. At the station, Mr. Weasley had hugged Ron before he had climbed the train. Ron had been embarrassed but Harry had felt jealous. Not for the first time had he hoped for someone to hug him like that. During their first year, after their encounter with the troll, Ron's parents had been equal amounts of worried and angry. They'd fussed over him before yelling at him. But, no one had bothered much about Harry. Ron didn't understand what it felt like to be given a home after years of being homeless. He had always had parents who loved him.

He knew how Ron felt about his family's financial status but he knew more than most people that money didn't solve everything. The Dursleys had a good deal of money. But that hadn't stopped them from ruining their nephew's life.

"It's not like that, Ron. I can't just do whatever I like. There's certain rules I need to follow and there are consequences if I break them." Harry explained, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. He didn't want to get angry at his best friend and spoil the weekend. Ron didn't mean anything by what he had said. It's just that he had never been in Harry's position so he wasn't aware of what it felt like. "Whatever you say, mate." Ron's tone was light, indicating that he had simply been joking.

They dropped the topic.

* * *

That night, Harry settled down in bed with a Quidditch magazine. Fred and George had dropped by and they'd played a dozen games of Quidditch. The two of them hadn't stayed the night since the twins had wanted to go to their friend, Lee Jordan's house. Ron had fallen asleep immediately after dinner. He could hear his best mate's snores from the adjacent room.

"Hey." He looked up to see his father at the door and smiled. The man came inside and settled down on the bed. They chatted quietly for a while about all sorts of senseless little things. After a bit, Harry decided to ask Sirius the question that had been in the back of his mind for the past couple of days. "Dad, what did you mean the other day, when you told Dumbledore to not underestimate the allure darkness?" That line had been bothering him for a while. It sounded alright but the way Sirius had said it sounded like it meant something much deeper. The look in his father's eyes had been one of pain as well as wisdom like he had experienced it firsthand.

He heard Sirius sigh. "You didn't miss that, did you?" When Harry shook his head, the man ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the pillows. "I suppose there is no harm in telling you about it." He said.

"What happened?" Asked Harry, getting curious. "Well, it was something like this:"

 _Sirius tried to concentrate on the Transfiguration textbook. He didn't have to study since he already knew it well. But, he wanted something, anything to get his mind off the letter that he had shoved into his bag. He'd read through it and the contents had distributed him. Not for the actual matter in them but his reaction to it. His father had died last week so the title of the Black Lord was his now. All the money, investments and every single thing the Blacks owned, now belonged to him._

 _And yet, he wasn't happy. Nor was he saddened by the death of his father. He wasn't glad either but he just couldn't find it in himself to be sad. Orion Black and his son had had nothing feelings of mutual hatred for each other. Sirius' father had been a cruel, heartless, mean spirited and abusive man who cared for no one. He was highly prejudiced and used every opportunity to mistreat muggles and muggleborns. They were all powerless against him. He had been a part of Voldemort's inner circle._

 _Sirius knew that for most people, when their parents died, they were devastated. But Sirius felt nothing. No sadness, pain or any emotion. He felt absolutely, utterly nothing. Although he was sixteen, he knew more about most things than people twice his age. He'd seen things that was enough to give one nightmares and even PTSD for the rest of their lives. To close his mind from all of it, he had mastered Occlumency at the mere age of twelve, an almost impossible task._

 _People said talking helped but Sirius didn't want to talk to anyone because there wasn't anybody who would understand. He didn't want their 'I'm sorry for your loss' or their pitiful looks because, he didn't feel like he'd lost anything._

 _Nobody could understand his position. He didn't blame them. He would never wish for someone to have parents like his, not even his worst enemies. James, Peter and Remus wouldn't get it._

 _"Hey Sirius! Your brother is waiting outside for you." Sirius snapped out of this thoughts and looked at the source of the voice. It was Frank Longbottom, a fellow sixth year and friend. "Thanks, Frank." He pushed himself off the sofa and out of the common room._

 _A slightly shorter version of Sirius was leaning against the wall. "Reg?" Regulus, Sirius' younger brother stared back at him. Unlike Sirius, Regulus had actually loved their father even though that love had never been reciprocated. His eyes were bloodshot— a clear sign that he had been crying. Although Sirius hated his parents, he and his brother were very close. They'd been that way ever since Regulus had learnt how to speak._

 _"Sirius, f-father's gone." Regulus choked out. His voice sounded hoarse and scratchy. "I know Reggie, I know." For Regulus' sake, Sirius didn't mention all the things Orion had done. "Come here." He held out his arms and his little brother ran into them without a word of protest. It had been a while since Regulus had accepted such gestures from anyone._

 _"I'm going to miss him." The boy whispered, tightening his arms around his older brother's waist. Sirius didn't say anything but simply held him close. "I'm going to miss you too. You won't forget me will you? Promise me you'll take care of yourself?" Sirius stiffened at the odd request. Why did it sound so much like a goodbye? "Why will you miss me? Forget about you? Take care of myself? What do you mean, Regulus?"_

 _The fourteen year old pulled away and looked at him with sad eyes. "Since father's gone, mother said that I need to take his place now." Take his place? "I don't understand Reg—"_

 _"I need to go. Mother asked me to do this Sirius. I don't want to but I have to. I can't disappoint her." The silent 'like you' hung in the air. "Regulus, what the bloody hell are you talking about?" The other boy's eyes welled up but he shoved the tears down. "I came to say goodbye, Sirius. I know you will hate me forever after this but I hope you forgive me someday."_

 _"Hate you? Regulus, you stop this right now!" Sirius snapped. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I had to." said Regulus. He rolled up the left sleeve of his robe and Sirius gasped when he saw it. There, on Regulus' forearm was the Dark mark. The coiled serpent and the skull stared back at him, marring the pale skin. "What have you done, Regulus?" Sirius whispered, looking at his brother with horror. "Why? After everything we spoke about! How could you do this?"_

 _His brother choked up a little. "I'm sorry," he said, once more. "I had no choice." Sirius shook his head, refusing to believe that his baby brother was now one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. This just couldn't be happening. He was too hurt to be angry. A knot formed in his chest. He felt like something was strangling him and yet, there was nothing. "Oh Reggie."_

 _"I don't know if I'll ever see you again. You probably hate me now and I don't blame you. But, I had to do this. Father would've wanted me to choose this path. It's not what I want but Mother said I should fulfill his wishes. I'm leaving right now."_

 _Sirius was jolted out of his trance at that. "What, no! You can't leave like this Regulus. You're my little brother, I can't afford to lose you. Look, there's always a choice. We'll figure it out together. You cannot give in like this." He grasped his brother's arms as if trying to shake some sense into him but the other boy pulled away._

 _The hurt ran too deep. "I'm afraid it's too late now. The decision has already been made. Goodbye brother, I love you." Regulus mumbled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears and pain. He then turned around and walked away. Sirius stood and watched his brother go farther and farther from him._

 _For the first time in years, a single tear slid down his cheek. That was the day Sirius Black understood the allure of darkness._

"That's what I meant the other day." Sirius finished, clearing his throat. "Now, if you could let me go, pup. I need to breathe." Harry didn't realise how tightly he'd been holding his father and he let go. The incident had left him stunned. He'd never heard his dad talk about his family before and now he knew exactly why.

He'd never known that Sirius' brother had been a Death Eater. He saw the sadness in those grey eyes and mentally chided himself for asking his father about it in the first place. All Harry had known about Regulus was that he had been Sirius' younger brother and had died years ago.

"He fought against Voldemort in the end." said Sirius quietly. Harry's head shot up at that. So he'd become good in the end? "He turned on him?" Sirius nodded, a melancholy smile on his face. "Did you forgive him?" Harry asked, curiosity getting the better of him. "He was my brother, Harry. I was angry and hurt but he was my brother after all. Of course I forgave him." Sirius replied.

"He died fighting for a good cause." said Harry. "That's what ultimately matters right?"

"You're right pup." said Sirius, gently carding his fingers through Harry's hair. "That's what matters."

Harry knew that a person's background didn't matter. Sirius was living proof of that. Despite being born into the darkest family in the Wizarding world, his father was the most kind hearted person he knew. "Did you see your brother again after that?" He asked.

"No. I saw him once when he was seventeen but after that, no. I knew he'd switched sides because we Aurors received a letter one day. It contained all of the details of death eaters and their hideouts. The handwriting was unmistakably his. In the end he's mentioned that this act of his would get him killed. He said an final goodbye to me in that letter. That was the last I heard from him. A few months later, on a mission, we found a body completely burned to a crisp. There was no way we could've identified it."

Harry felt very sad indeed for Sirius. He'd never had siblings but he was sure that if you lost them, it hurt. Bad. After listening to his dad, he concluded that although Regulus had gone awry, he's ultimately returned to the good side. "Dad, do you miss him today?" As soon as the question slipped out, he mentally smacked himself. He couldn't have asked. A more stupid question. But Sirius didn't get angry.

"Very much Harry, very much." Sirius replied, a far away look in his eyes. Harry didn't have the heart to push the conversation any further. It was the first time his father had opened up to him about his family and he felt honoured to be trusted with that. "Goodnight Dad," he mumbled, clinging underneath the covers. Sirius smiled and tucked the covers more firmly around Harry.

"I once told Regulus something and now I'll repeat the same thing to you. The world isn't divided into good and bad people. No matter how powerful or tempting the darkness may be, just remember that we've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

"Goodnight, pup."

* * *

 **Okay now, even though Regulus never actually made an appearance in the books, I kind of like him. Secondly, not much light was thrown on Sirius' and Regulus' relationship as brothers but I would've wanted them to be close so that's how I wrote it.**

 **So tell me what you think of it.**

 **I also don't know when the next update will be ready but I'll try and have it done quickly. I really like writing this story.**


	26. Chapter 25: The Return

Sirius took another sip of firewhiskey from the snifter before setting it down on the table. The talk with Harry had caused several memories to resurface. But, unexpectedly, he didn't feel as bad as he had thought he would. Harry was one of the few people who actually understood what he had gone through. Unlike others, he hadn't responded with the usual 'I'm sorry'. Instead, he'd just listened quietly and for that Sirius was thankful.

He glanced at the photograph he'd pulled out from the bottom of his school trunk. It was a picture of him and Regulus. His little brother had only been six years old back then. Both the boys in the picture looked so happy and carefree like nothing could ever go wrong. He watched as his eight-year-old self chased the other boy around before finally catching him and wrapping him in an embrace. When Reg had joined the death eaters, no one knew about it other than Sirius, his parents and a few others. So, as far as the entire world was concerned, Regulus was somewhere, living his life.

"Master Sirius Black sir?" He looked up and saw Dobby. "Should Dobby refill your glass sir?" The elf pointed to his empty snifter. Sirius shook his head and stood up. "No thank you Dobby. That won't be necessary. I'll head upstairs to bed now." He replied. The elf nodded and disappeared with a crack.

Sirius firmly told himself that there was no use in thinking over the past. Regulus was gone and so was James. He couldn't bring them back but what he could do was not mope about it.

* * *

The next day, Harry woke up earlier than usual. His mind was still processing everything Sirius had told him. It was still six thirty and he knew that his dad was still asleep. He heard Ron still snoring peacefully and so he decided to let him sleep. He crept into his father's room to find him under the covers.

He tiptoed inside carefully so as to not wake him up. His last few attacks had failed, but this time, he was determined to succeed. He was just about to pounce when a voice stopped him. "Don't even think about it." Sirius turned around and smirked at him. Harry groaned and then threw himself on the bed. He had failed again.

"How do you always know?" He asked, tired of unsuccessful attempts. "I've told you this several times before and I'll tell you again: it's a secret." Rolling his eyes, Harry lay down over the blanket. "Since Ron's going back home today, you've got nothing to do. So, are you up for a little picnic one of these days?"

"Picnic?" Harry enquired, excitement colouring his words. "Mmhm. There's this nice little picnic spot about an hour or so away from here. It's even got a small lake surrounded by trees and picnic tables. It's for both muggle as well as magical folk."

"It sounds really fun." Harry replied. "It is. Regulus and I used to go there when were kids. Just the two of us. It was a whole lot of fun. Later, when I started going to Hogwarts, during the summer, James, Remus and myself would go there often. I used to catch one of them off guard and shove them into the pool."

Harry laughed at that. He could imagine his father doing something like that. Sirius was one of those adults who were like the definition of cool. "You better watch out. I might just push you in as well." Harry's smile abruptly faded at that. He and swimming just didn't go together. He had always had a bad experience with water in general.

Whenever his muggle relatives would go outside, they left him behind. The few times they would take him along, was an utter nightmare for Harry. Dudley would always kick Harry into the water whenever he got the chance. Since he didn't know how to swim, he would thrash violently to try and stay afloat. The whole time, his uncle would laugh at his helplessness. Every time he tried to get out, he was shoved underwater. Soon, he was terrified of the mere thought of swimming.

"I don't like swimming." He admitted quietly. His father sensed the change in his mood immediately and pulled him into a hug. "Why not, pup?" Harry told him the story behind his dislike for water and by the time he was done, his dad was also visibly upset.

Sirius forced a smile for Harry's sake and hugged him tighter. "Well, I promise you that it's not going to be anything like that. I'd drown myself before I did anything to harm you." said Sirius. His voice contained no humour, thereby indicating the seriousness of that particular statement. "I know Dad. And I really want to go. I know it'll be great." Harry replied.

"Excellent. Like I told you last week, I need to get back as an Auror in a few days. But before that, I'll take you there. In fact, if you want, we can go tomorrow itself. " Said Sirius and bit of his light tone of voice returned.

"Brilliant. I'll go and wake Ron." Harry rushed out of the room and to the guest bedroom. They went downstairs for breakfast after which Ron had to leave. Mr. Weasley had recently won a lottery so the entire family would be making a trip to Egypt. They'd be leaving the next day. From their winnings, they'd bought Ron a new wand as well. Harry wished his best mate a great holiday and the redhead left after that.

Once the Manor was quiet, Sirius settled down in his office and pulled out a piece of parchment. He didn't have to get back to work just yet but there was something that he needed to have ready by the time he began. The very first case Sirius would tackle was Lucius Malfoy. That nasty little sod had been running around scot-free for a very long time. Not anymore. He wrote down the necessary details in the letter and sealed it shut. The very first thing he would do after rejoining was carry out his plan.

He sent the letter to Scrimgeour along with another letter, telling him to have the necessary documents ready by the time he resumed.

After an hour or so, he received a confirmation that things would go as planned. _Get ready Malfoy. You're doomed._

* * *

"Come on now, wake up kiddo. We're going to be late if we don't leave soon." said Sirius as he tried to get one very sleepy boy out of bed. "I promise, just two more minutes and I'll be up." Harry mumbled. "That's the third time you're saying that. If you're not up now, I'm afraid we'll have to forgo today's program." Sirius didn't really mean that but Harry didn't know that. "No, no! Dad don't do that. See, I'm up and I'm going." The boy replied, scrambling out of bed and into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, they were ready to leave. "Now since this is a muggle spot as well, we cannot risk apparating. So, we'll apparate to this place meant for witches and wizards. We'll have to walk a bit further to get to our destination." Sirius explained. "Now hold on tight." Not everyone could apparate in and out of Black Manor. Sirius was the only one who could do it. The other one was dead. Or so he thought.

They reappeared in a clearing where there were a few other families. The place wasn't all that crowded. "We need to walk about a mile or so to get there."

They trekked through the slightly narrow road that led to their picnic spot. Harry was still a little sleepy since he'd spent quite some time last night reading magazines. "There's a beautiful view from the top you know. You can see the entire city from up there." said Sirius, grinning. "Old Moony was rather afraid of heights so he never went very close to the edge. It was quite scary from him." He commented with a smile. The werewolf had been extremely nervous to walk to the edge although firm railings had been attached. There wasn't even any real danger involved. "We used to drag him along anyway."

"You know what's really scary for me?" Harry asked. "What?" With a mischievous grin, Harry replied: "A Dad who is mad at you. All conversations begin with 'Harry James, you're in so much trouble' and that's when I start thinking about what'll become of me. Dad, you may or may not know this, but when you're angry, you're scarier than even Voldemort."

"Oh please, I think you're exaggerating a little too much." Rolling his eyes, Sirius ruffled Harry's hair. "I'm really not. Have you looked at yourself when you're mad? You're like the most scariest person on the entire planet." Sirius glared at Harry playfully.

"I'm scary is it?" Reaching out, he poked Harry's sides. "I think I need to do something to prove that I'm not scary. Here's what I can do: I'll owl every single one of your friends telling them about all the embarrassing things you did as baby. I'll even send a picture or two. Or even better, we can invite them over and I'll tell them everything myself. That's not remotely scary. It'll be hilarious." Sirius remarked casually.

"Hey no! Who's scary? I never said scary. What I was saying was that you're the best dad on the planet. Not scary. Whoever said anything about scary?" said Harry. He mentally imagined all his friends roaring with laughter as Sirius told them about his adventures as a baby.

"Oh I don't know. I'm pretty sure that you said scary. I really must tell your friends," said Sirius with a smirk. "If you did that, you'd truly be a scary dad." Harry replied. "I think what you must do to prove that you're not scary is that you should let me do whatever I want. Stay up late, eat as many pieces of pie as I like, play Quidditch in the middle of the night; you know, _those_ kinds of things."

"Oh, _those_ kinds of things. No, not happening. In your dreams, kiddo." The man laughed.

As they made their way to the picnic spot, playfully bantering with each other, an uneasy feeling crept inside Sirius. Although they were having fun, he couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched.

His Animagus senses didn't pick up any suspicious scent nor did he hear anything unusual. The people around them were behaving just fine and no one seemed to be looking at them. _Nothing is wrong._ He firmly repeated those words to himself.

* * *

The figure quietly hid behind the trees and observed everything inconspicuously. He watched as the man lightly tickled the boy's ribs and the latter danced away, laughing. He'd been observing the duo for over a year now from afar and watched them grow closer over the months. The man became the boy's father and the boy became the man's son, his entire world.

He knew he was taking a risk by getting so close to them. He'd always maintained a safe distance, but off late, he'd been tempted to take a closer look. He had finally given into that temptation and he didn't regret it one bit. The happiness on their faces was totally worth it. The past few years had been hard for him since he had been completely alone. But then again, he was reaping the fruits of his own decisions. He had no one to blame but himself.

He had so desperately wanted to approach the man but he hadn't, for fear of being shunned away. He was searching for the right opportunity to walk up to him but had never been brave enough to do so. He quietly followed them, making sure to maintain sufficient distance. He was dressed in muggle clothing so no one would notice him.

His lips curled into a small, sad smile as he observed them. The dark haired boy said something to his father and bolted away. The man chased after his son and caught up with him, pulling him into a hug. He distinctly recalled the time when the very same man had done the exact same thing with him. It was one of the few good memories of his life. He had later made some very bad decisions and he carried the guilt with him to this day. His brother had tried to stop him but he hadn't listened.

When he was a child, he always went to his brother whenever something was wrong. His older brother would simply give him a hug, ruffle his hair and say ' _Don't worry Reggie. It will all be okay. Big brothers know best.'_

That was then. Now, he wasn't even sure Sirius would want anything to do with him. He'd followed that one cause Sirius strongly hated and then he'd let him think he was dead. He'd made so many mistakes in his life. But despite everything that could go wrong, Regulus wanted to meet his brother again. There was no doubt that Sirius would be furious, but maybe, just maybe, he would forgive him. After all, it was Sirius who had once told him: _Mistakes are forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them._

But then again, his mistakes were pretty large ones. He carried a whole lot of guilt on his shoulders. He had been stupid to join Voldemort. He had been so bloody brainwashed by his parents! When he had finally realised the error of his ways, it had been too late. He had been forced to fake his own death. He had been helpless to do anything when Sirius had been unfairly imprisoned. He was without doubt, the worst brother ever.

As he watched them, he made up his mind that he couldn't stay away any longer. It hurt too much. He would go and meet them. To hell with the consequences. The thought of finally reuniting with his brother filled him with a certain joy that he hadn't felt in ages. Yes. Soon, Regulus Black was going home.

"Dad, no, you will _not_ splash me anymore." Harry said as he took a step backwards in the water. Both of them had changed into a pair of trunks and currently, they were in the lake. Sirius had once again, effortlessly gained the attention of several ladies. The admiring looks that he was receiving were so clear that even Harry couldn't ignore them.

Sirius flexed his arms before dousing Harry again. "Whoops. Guess I did it anyway." He replied, winking at the boy. He was getting his pup accustomed to the basics of swimming, and so far, Harry had been doing fairly well. In the beginning, he had been a little apprehensive about stepping into the water, but now, that apprehension was gone. "Now move forward, you're making progress, trust me." Sirius encouraged.

They spent some more time in the water, swimming, splashing and likewise. "You hungry?" Sirius asked. "Ravenous." Harry answered. "Well in that case, I suggest we get out and get some lunch." The man remarked with a laugh. "Could I stay in here for just a little while more?" Harry asked. Although he was hungry, he was enjoying himself. For the first time in his life, swimming had been a good experience for him. "More? And I thought you didn't like the water. Alright I suppose. Ten more minutes and then lunch." Sirius responded, climbing outside. "Don't go in too deep. Be careful to stay in the shallow area. I'll be back in a bit."

As Harry lazily swam about, he was too busy enjoying his pure bliss to notice a pair of grey eyes observing him intently.

* * *

Regulus felt a wide smile nearly split his face into two when he reached Black Manor. He stood right outside the gates and took in the details. He was finally home. Everything was just as he remembered. Although he didn't have many good memories of his parents connected to this place, his older brother had made sure that he had a wonderful life. He thought about what he would say to Sirius when he was face to face with him.

He had deliberately chosen to come home before the other two since he wanted to be ready. He decided that he would wait for Harry to go to bed before going inside. If Sirius was going to be mad at him, he would prefer that Harry wasn't around. He could meet him later on, once Sirius was done yelling at him.

He'd even missed the family house elf Becky. He had to admit to himself that he was nervous. Sirius' reaction would decide everything. He hoped and prayed with everything that he had that things would be resolved between the two of them.

Sirius had been the one constant support throughout his childhood. And how had he repaid that support? By joining Voldemort. Throughout his life, he had made some pretty big mistakes and he was paying the price to this day. He had no excuses to justify his actions. He wanted to fix things and he would.

He heard a crack and assumed that the two of them were home. He strained his ears but heard nothing other than some laughter, he heard nothing else. Then, there was silence. Only the occasional hooting of a stray owl broke the silence of the night. A barn owl landed on the tree under which he was sitting. He looked up to find its piercing gaze on him.

Regulus felt like the owl was laughing at his current situation. _Oh, poor Reggie! Nervous to meet big brother?_ What was he even supposed to say to him? _Hey there Sirius! It's your little brother Reg! Guess what, I'm not dead!_

He tore his gaze away from the owl and back to the house. He sat quietly, waiting for the time to pass. After about an hour or so, the lights went out one by one. Only two lights remained: one in the living room and the other from Sirius' bedroom. Yes, it was finally time for him to go. He was going to be seeing his brother after seventeen years.

He pushed himself up and started walking towards the house. He got past the gates since the wards allowed him access. He was a Black after all.

 _This is it Regulus, there's no going back now. Come on, you can do this. You will do this_.

* * *

Sirius smiled to himself as he closed Harry's bedroom door. It had been a brilliant day. Harry's initial apprehension had melted away, replaced by unadulterated joy. He made a mental note to take him there more often.

Scrimgeour had mentioned in his letter that it was alright if Sirius took a few days more before rejoining since there was a lot of paperwork from the previous cases that needed to be seen to. Only then could the new ones be tackled. He intended to spend as much time as possible with Harry in that span of time.

Since he wasn't particularly sleepy, he went downstairs and sank into his favourite armchair with a book. He didn't pay much attention but simply flipped the pages casually. Pleased immensely with the day's events, he took a deep breath but then froze. That scent. _Where did it come from?_ He hadn't caught a whiff of it in seventeen years. It had to be an imposter. It just had to. Quietly, he closed the book and placed it on the coffee table and pulled out his wand.

He crept up the stairs, as silently as possible. _Protect Harry._ That was his first instinct. He reached Harry's room and opened the door. A shock of black hair was visible while the rest of him was safely tucked in. He closed the door and cast a strong protection charm over the boy's room.

He scanned the rest of the top floor for any sign of an intruder but found nothing. He mentally said a _Homenum revelio_ on the first floor but nothing happened. There was no one upstairs. Time to go downstairs and check.

Making sure to keep as quiet as he could, he went down. The living room was just as he had left it but that scent was stronger. _Whoever this was, they would be seriously sorry._ There was no one there either but that scent was so damn powerful that Sirius was sure someone was here.

He swept his gaze over the living room for any sign of another person, to check if anything had been rearranged. His eyes stopped on the coffee table. _No, it couldn't be_. He hadn't seen it in years. It was a ring. No ordinary ring but his brother's signet ring. For a minute, he forgot about the scent that was getting stronger and walked towards the table. He picked up the ring and examined it carefully. It wasn't fake. The small scratch on the loop of the R was a clear indication that it was real.

The ring, the scent– they all pointed towards one thing but Sirius refused to acknowledge that absurd theory. That just wasn't possible.

Sirius heard the soft creak of a footstep and stilled instantly. He gripped his wand till his knuckles turned white and slowly turned around.

His eyes widened with disbelief when he saw the person standing before him. Black hair that ended below the ear, grey eyes identical to his own and a figure slightly taller than what he remembered. There, standing only a few feet away from him was none other than his younger brother, Regulus Black. _No, this wasn't true. It's. Not. True._ But even as he repeated that line, the slight pressure of his fingernails digging into his palm due to his grip on the wand was enough evidence that it was real. _How?_

Sirius looked at the other man, too shocked to say anything. _It's not him. He's dead. He was gone long ago._

Sirius looked at 'Regulus', trying to find something to say but could think of nothing. Despite the fact that he was currently standing before him, Sirius did not believe that the man before him was truly his brother. He couldn't believe it. Regulus had died. Why else had he stopped writing to him?

Both stared at each other, not saying a word. The silence that engulfed the room was deafening. Sirius watched as a myriad of emotions washed across the younger man's features: pain, guilt, joy and hope. It was Regulus who finally broke the silence. His lips turned upward into a somewhat nervous, hopeful smile and he spoke:

"Hello brother."

* * *

 **And there's your chapter as promised. I put in a lot of thought before writing this chapter. I've always felt that Regulus and Sirius deserved a chance to rehash things between them. And yes, most probably, he is going to become a regular character.**

 **Keep reading!**


	27. Chapter 26: Two Brothers

Sirius snapped out of his temporary trance and came to his senses. This man wasn't his brother. He couldn't really be him. Moving with amazing speed, he grabbed the person by his collar and slammed him into the nearest wall, pointing his wand at his throat. "Who the hell are you and how dare, how dare you come as my brother."

The other man seemed unsurprised, like he'd expected such a reaction. He didn't struggle or fight against the grip. "Your animagus form is a black dog." He said. "So? You could've grasped that much from anyone. I'm a registered animagus now." Sirius replied. "Sirius, I swear to you, it's really me. Your animagus skills cannot be lying." He tried to reason with him. "The scent is something that can be easily be replicated and I'm sure that the polyjuice potion helped a lot." Sirius looked quite fierce indeed.

"When I was eleven, and was sorted into Slytherin, you told me that it didn't matter. I was still your baby brother." Sirius' expression faltered for a second before hardening again. "That's not good enough." He answered. "When I was five, I fell off the oak tree on the back of the house. You carried me all the way back home and told me, 'Reggie, that's alright. I'll always be there to help you up when you fall. You told me that no matter how powerful or tempting the darkness may be, just remember that we've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

Sirius' grip loosened and he let the man go. He remembered saying that to Regulus. He used to say it quite often. He looked at the man before him, and realised that he really was his brother. The emotion in those grey eyes was definitely real. "Please, Sirius, you need to believe me. I'm not lying."

His brother was alive; he had been alive all these years. "Reggie?" He whispered, half afraid that it was a figment of his imagination. He reached out to touch the man's shoulder, like he was trying to convince himself that he was real. When his fingers didn't pass through him, he pulled Regulus into an embrace, holding him tightly.

The response was immediate: Regulus hugged him back, feeling equally happy. His brother was safe. His little brother had been alive and yet he hadn't bothered to reach out to him. That's when the anger came.

He pulled away from his brother, his eyes blazing. "After all these years, you show up now? How dare you do that to me!" He'd spent so many nights in Azkaban, thinking about how he had failed everyone, especially his brother. "Sirius pl—"

"SHUT UP! Not a word! I spent years, years thinking that you were gone. I thought about how I never got to say goodbye. Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

"Sirius, I know you're mad at me and ha—" he was cut off once more. "Mad? Just mad? You come home after seventeen bloody years after letting me think that you were dead! Oh no, I'm not mad. I'm bloody furious!" Guilt flashed in Regulus' eyes and he looked away. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Sorry?" Sirius let out a humorless laugh. "That's all you have to say? Why did you do this Regulus? I want to know. Why did you stay away for so long?" There was a hurt edge to his words as he spoke. "I made a lot of mistakes, Sirius. I was so influenced by Mother's wishes that I couldn't see the catastrophe they brought. It was horrible, working for _him_. He was completely merciless. All that death, destruction, fear– I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want that life anymore, I never did, trust me. It was only then that I realised that you were right all along. After all, big brothers know best." Said Regulus with a nostalgic smile.

"Damn right they know what's best." Sirius replied and some of his anger dissipated. But he wanted to know more. "So you betrayed Voldemort. Why didn't you come home? If you wanted to stay safe, I would've helped you out."

"Sirius, you have to understand what I felt back then. I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. I thought you despised me for supporting everything that you went against. So, after your acquittal, I simply observed you and Harry from a distance. I found it wiser to let you think I'm dead than to come back and find that you didn't want to see me again." That was not the right thing to say.

"Let me think you were dead?" Sirius' voice was deadly. He shoved Regulus in the chest, causing him to stagger backward. "So you thought it would alright to do that?" _Shove_. "You bloody thought I didn't care about you anymore?" _Shove_. "You bloody idiot. You never thought about how I would felt when I realised you were dead. Throughout our childhood, I hated our parents. The only reason I came home from Hogwarts every year was because I knew you'd be there as well. How could you possibly think I never wanted to see you again!" _Push_. "How dare you think that way? You made a mistake. Everyone does. We could have fixed things back then if you'd just come back. But you didn't. You went away."

"I thought that I had failed you. You have no idea what you put me through. You stupid little thing. I hate you. I bloody hate you." Sirius' voice broke at the end. But even as he said those harsh words, his arms went around his brother, hugging him once again. He held on tightly. "I'm just so glad you're back." He whispered, pulling away.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" Regulus asked softly, a hint of a smile in his words. "Of course it does, idiot. You're my little brother." Sirius answered. "But I swear, if you ever even think of doing this again, I will—"

"I know. I promise, I won't disappear like that again." Regulus replied. There was silence after that. "This place hadn't changed one bit. Although, I must say, it feels... happier." Regulus commented. "Oh it is. Of course it'll be a better place without a sadistic bastard controlling every inch of it." Sirius remarked.

Regulus knew that Sirius was referring to their father. As a child, he had been hungry for attention from that one man who was utterly heartless. He later realised that both his parents had been complete monsters. "So uh, how's young Harry doing?" Sirius smirked at him. "You should know. After all, you've been stalking me for over a year now, haven't you Reg?" Regulus rolled his eyes at that. "I wasn't stalking you."

"Of course you weren't. You were merely discreetly observing everything." Sirius teased. Regulus laughed, feeling much better already. "But seriously, how's fatherhood suiting you?" He asked. "Honestly, I never imagined myself as a father. But now, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Its wonderful."

"My, my. The joys of fatherhood have softened you, Sirius." said Regulus. "Very funny. How about you? Any nephews or nieces I need to know about? Wife? Girlfriend?"

"No, no and not right now." He said. "Well, that's too bad. I was really hoping for a baby Reggie or a Reggiette." Sirius replied jokingly. "So when can I meet Harry?"

"In the morning, obviously. Kid had a long day. I had to half carry him to bed." Said Sirius with a fond smile. "Where did you stay, all these years?" He asked. "In and out of hotels, motels, inns. Didn't stay anywhere for more than two to three weeks. I didn't settle down anywhere. Didn't want to draw any attention towards myself." Regulus explained.

"Mmhm. Well you're not going to do that sort of rubbish anymore." Said Sirius, firmly. "This is your house as much as it is mine. You're staying here."

"I wouldn't even dream of doing otherwise. I promise, I'm not leaving again."

"Good. Now, I need to get to bed. I'll have to be up a little early tomorrow. I must talk to Harry about this. Wouldn't want him to get the shock of his life when he comes downstairs and sees you, in the flesh." Regulus had the decency to appear a little sheepish. "I suppose so. So what's he like?"

"He's absolutely brilliant. You'll like him. Which reminds me, you will have to pick another room. It's his now." Sirius said. "My poor room. Fine, I'll chose another one. Goodnight, Sirius."

"Goodnight baby brother." Regulus grinned as his brother went upstairs and threw his head back against the headrest of the armchair. Things had gone well. Sirius had forgiven him and that was all he could ask for. With a yawn, he made his way upstairs to one of the many guest rooms of the Manor.

He smiled as he climbed into bed, relishing the comfort of the soft mattress underneath him. They were so much better than the lumpy mattresses he had gotten accustomed to. Tomorrow, he was going to meet his brother's godson— son and he was looking forward to it.

Yes, things were finally starting to get better.

* * *

The next morning, Sirius awoke early, as he had planned. His brother was still asleep, as was Harry. He got ready and went to Harry's room. The boy was asleep, breathing deeply. With a grin, he settled down and shook his shoulder. "Pup, wake up." His son shrugged away and pushed himself under the covers. "Wanna sleep." He mumbled. "Harry, this is important. We need to talk about this kiddo. It can't wait."

Harry must've sensed the seriousness in his voice and groggily opened his eyes. "Dad, what's wrong?" He asked. "Nothing's wrong, pup. I just have to tell you something." Sirius told Harry about what had happened last night. He was equally stunned when he heard it. "So he's really here?" Harry asked. Sirius nodded in response. "He is. He's in the other room, sleeping. He'll be up in a bit and he wants to meet you."

"He does?" Harry enquired. "He sure does. Now come on, get dressed and come downstairs." Sirius ruffled his hair and left the room. This was definitely a lot to take in. He wondered what his dad's brother would be like. He had once been a death eater but that didn't matter now. He had changed. He remembered what Sirius had told him about light and dark. Regulus had gone dark, yes. But in the end, he had returned to the light. His past didn't matter. Would he be nice? Short tempered? Easy going? Funny? Would he like Harry? He hoped so.

There was no point in sitting here all day. He would find out more about the younger Black only after he had actually met him. He stretched himself and got out of bed. He was ready soon and went down.

As Harry sat at the dining table, eating, he heard his dad talking to someone. It must be Regulus. Sirius came inside, followed by another man. Harry took in his appearance, curiously. He was nearly as tall as his father and bore a striking resemblance to him. The same grey eyes and black hair, although it was a little shorter. He had a kind, easy expression on his face, so Harry found it hard to believe that this was the very same person who had once worked for Voldemort. The man, Regulus smiled and walked up to him.

"And you must be Harry. It's great meet you, mate." Said Regulus, shaking Harry's hand. "You too, Mr. Black." He replied. He took an instant liking to the man. He was nice alright. His earlier worries had been completely unnecessary. "Please, call me Regulus. Mr. Black makes me sound so old. We both know who's the old one, don't we?" Said Regulus, inclining his head towards Sirius. "Yes, we do." Harry replied mischievously.

Sirius glared at the two of them playfully. "I introduce you two and now you both are already ganging up on me. I'm hurt. Harry, I didn't expect this from you. After all I've done for you: changed your nappies, put you to bed, given you a bath and gotten wet in the process. This is how you repay me? I'm so hurt."

"Aw, come on Dad. Don't be like that. You know you're the best, right?" Said Harry, beaming. Sirius wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Absolutely."

As the three of them sat at the table, laughing, Regulus smiled to himself. Yes, they were all going to get along just fine.

* * *

"So, what's this thing about Lucius Malfoy? I remember reading the Daily Prophet a few months ago. There was something about unpaid debts? It said he owed around thirty billion galleons to our family. Did he repay it?" Asked Regulus. "Repay it? Of course not. I let him off with a couple of warnings, thinking that he had changed but he didn't learn. So, now he's going down the hard way." Sirius replied. "This sounds exciting. The bloke deserves every bit of it. I've never liked him anyway. So, what's going to happen to him?"

"He's caused a lot of problems and gotten into quite some trouble. But, he was never held accountable for them. I'm going to change that. As for the plan, you'll find out soon enough." Said Sirius. "He was one of the members of the inner circle. I've seen him do terrible things." Regulus said, sounding grave. Sirius' head shot up at this. He had always suspected that Malfoy had been a loyal follower. Regulus' admission just confirmed the fact that he needed to bear the consequences. After Voldemort had fallen, Malfoy had claimed that it had all been done under the Imperius. But Sirius knew that all of his stories were codswallop. One couldn't take the Dark mark under the influence of the Imperius curse. His brother was proof. "We'll see to it that he's brought to justice."

"Hmm. Now, enough about Malfoy. By the way, you were right about Harry. He's a great kid. He positively adores you." Sirius smiled at that. "So when will you get back as an Auror?" Asked Regulus. "In a couple of days. Probably a while before Harry's birthday."

"Ah yes, thirteen. Good luck, Sirius. Prepare yourself for the tantrums, mood swings and everything else coming your way." Sirius rolled his eyes at Regulus before throwing a cushion at him. "I've handled you. I'm sure Harry will be much easier."

"Haha. So, how often does he visit his muggle relatives? Does he miss them a lot?" Asked Regulus. Sirius shook his head at his brother, indicating that it wasn't a pleasant topic. "Let's just say they weren't very nice people. It would be better if you don't bring this up in front of Harry." He stated firmly.

His brother noticed the grave note in his words and thankfully, didn't push any further. "Sirius? What's this thing you've got in store for Malfoy?"

"Oh no, Reggie. I'm not telling." Said Sirius with a smirk. Reg looked at him indignantly. "I'm your brother, you have to tell me." His younger brother looked at him pleadingly and Sirius inwardly smiled. Seventeen years and yet some things would never change. "Besides, I could definitely be of some help. I hate him as much as you do."

He contemplated whether or not to tell him and then finally decided to do so. He opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out an envelope. He held it out to Regulus who took it from him and opened it. The other man didn't say anything but raised his eyebrows and looked at Sirius after he was done reading. "I would say it's a little too harsh but then, it _is_ Malfoy that we're talking about. He deserves every bit of it."

"So I take it that you're in?"

"Oh I'm definitely in."

* * *

The next day, Sirius and Regulus went to the ministry where they cleared up the topic of Regulus' sudden reappearance. Scrimgeour had been one of those few aurors who had known about him being a death eater. He also knew that Reg had eventually betrayed Voldemort. Scrimgeour was aware that the younger Black was currently on the good side. For the sake of it, a trial had been held after which he was granted an official pardon. If people like Malfoy and Snape could be pardoned, Regulus sure as hell deserved it.

Although Regulus hadn't completed his education at Hogwarts, he was still much more accomplished than several fully trained wizards. He was, after all, a Black. All Aurors worked in pairs but Sirius had turned down that offer, preferring to work alone. But, when Scrimgeour suggested that it would be a good idea if Regulus accompanied Sirius occasionally, he had accepted.

"I look forward to seeing you both soon." Said Scrimgeour, shaking their hands. "Great, I'll see you then." Said Sirius, after which the two of them flooed home.

* * *

Harry's eyes opened way earlier than usual and he shot out of bed. Today was the day his dad was going back to work. He knew how much Sirius had enjoyed working as an Auror and was sure that the same enjoyment would continue. He wanted to do something special for him since Sirius always did something extra nice for Harry whenever it was a special occasion.

He went downstairs and to the kitchen. He hadn't cooked in nearly a year but he wanted to do it for Sirius. "Harry Potter sir, you is not supposed to be here." He nearly jumped at the sound of the house elf, Becky. "It's alright, Becky. I'm doing it for Dad."

He thought about Sirius' favourites: pancakes with syrup, sausages, sautéed mushrooms and bacon. Time to get to work. Up till last year, cooking had been a chore, something he had been forced to do. But now, he was doing it because he wanted to.

Harry was so engrossed that he didn't notice Sirius coming into the kitchen. "Harry— what are you doing?" He looked up at his father and smiled. "Just a little something." He replied. He remembered the last time his dad had found him in the kitchen in the almost exact same way. He recalled how he had acted back then and nearly laughed at himself.

"Harry—"

"I know, I know you don't want me doing all this but I swear, I'm doing it only because I want to. You're getting back to work today. So, this is kind of a back to work present." Harry explained.

Sirius felt a rush of affection for his son. He really did have a heart of gold. "Thank you, kiddo. I can't wait to taste it. It smells delicious."

Soon, Harry was done and the food was absolutely marvellous. "It's brilliant, pup." Said Sirius. And that one line was enough for Harry. All his efforts had been worth it.

A while later, both Regulus and Sirius were ready to leave. The latter was dressed in tailored, navy blue robes with a white shirt underneath and a red tie. The sharp jawline highlighted his aristocratic carriage.

"Okay, you ready to go to Ron's? He was back last night, wasn't he?" Sirius suggested giving Harry a hug. "I'll be back in the evening. Alright?" He said as Harry grabbed the floo powder. "Okay. Good luck Dad!"

"Quite enthusiastic, isn't he?" Regulus commented when Harry was gone. "Mmhm. Now come on, we've got a mission to attend to." Said Sirius.

With a crack, the two of them apparated to the Ministry. Last year, when Sirius had just been acquitted, passers-by would look at him rather warily. Now, it was either a friendly smile, or a respectful nod. They headed towards the Auror department where Scrimgeour and some other Aurors were already present.

He recognised some of them while the others were new faces. "So are we ready?" Sirius asked. Scrimgeour chuckled slightly at that. "Never the sort to beat about the bush, are you? Yes it's all done. Welcome back, Auror Black. As for you, Regulus, I hope you enjoy working here. I trust you will not let us down."

"Absolutely not."

"Very well. So, here are the documents as per your request. Our people will accompany you, should things get... unruly. Although, given your perfect record, I'm sure it'll go just as planned." Said Scrimgeour, handing Sirius an envelope. "Undoubtedly, Rufus." Sirius replied and his lips quirked upward into a smirk. "Come, we've got a job to do and I dare say, it's well overdue."

Sirius, Regulus and the other aurors went to the many floos lined up in the department and stepped inside. Sirius took a fistful of floo power and tossed it into the green flames.

"Malfoy Manor."

* * *

 **I'm sure you guys are smart enough to figure out what happens in the next chapter**.

 **Hope you liked it!**


	28. Chapter 27: The Downfall of Malfoy

Lucius Malfoy had been having a wonderful summer so far. He'd fretted over Black's warning but when nothing had happened, he'd forgotten about it. He had been so daft to think that the blood traitor would actually do anything. That warning had been nothing more than an idle threat. That's all Black was: full of idle threats. The other day, when he had thought he was doomed, all Black had done was publish a newspaper article about him. It had been humiliating, yes, but eventually, people had forgotten about it. He should've known better than to think that Black would do anything to him. He was too weak.

There was a knock on his door and he looked up to see his son. "What do you want, Draco?" He snapped, annoyed that the boy had disturbed him. Draco flinched at the harshness of his father's words. "Mother wanted to know if you would be out late tonight as well." He said, schooling his features.

"Yes I will. Now stop barging in every few minutes. I don't wish to be bothered. I don't want to see you or anyone else for a while. I'm a busy man who had work to do. The last thing I need is disturbance. Get out and stay out." He said, quite brusquely. "Yes, sir."

Draco closed the door and stepped outside, trying to shut down the emotional side of his mind. He couldn't remember the last time his father had been civil to him. He knew about the kinds of things his parents discussed whenever they thought he wasn't around. He also knew that his father was less than honest with his mother regarding his... affairs. He was twelve but he wasn't stupid. His mother tried to keep him out of it but there were times when he was invariably involved. He was aware that his family had dark connections but truth be told; he wanted nothing to do with the dark arts.

When people looked at him, all they saw was a spoilt, snobbish boy who had everything he could ever ask for. People either hated him or worshiped him. There was no in between. But, no one saw the boy who was desperately trying to prove to his father that he wasn't an utter waste. That's all his life was. And maybe, that's all his life would ever be.

Part of him wished his father would realise his worth, while there was a small part of him that wanted to stop trying. The state of their Manor reflected the state of mind of its residents: dark, gloomy and unhappy.

* * *

Sirius reappeared just inside the gates of the manor along with the others. There were two floo entrances to get to the house. One led directly into the living room: that was meant for the immediate family and close friends. The other one was outside. It was used by guests and visitors.

Sirius, Regulus and two other Aurors went to the door while the rest of them stood outside in case they were required. Sirius rapped twice on the door and waited. He silently cast an anti-apparition charm on the house and a spell barrier, in case Malfoy tried anything funny.

He heard the scurrying of footsteps and an old, miserable looking house elf opened the door. Sirius recognised the elf but couldn't remember its name. "Who is it, Nipsy?" A female voice called out. The source of the voice was Narcissa Malfoy. Sirius hadn't seen her in years but, she was still the same: the haughty expression, pale appearance and her condescending tone.

"Cousin, how wonderful to see you." Said Regulus, sarcastically. Her eyes widened when she saw him. "R-Regulus? How?" Pure shock was displayed on her face. The man in question tsked disapprovingly and smirked at her. "You see me after so many years and that's all you can say? No warm greetings at all. I should've expected nothing more from someone as cold as you."

The woman was still too shocked to say anything. "H-How?" She asked once again. "How? When? Blah blah blah. I could answer your questions but I really don't want to. We don't have all the time in the world, cousin. Now, be a dear and go call your husband." Said Regulus. She finally snapped out of her shock and glared at him. "Lucius? What do you want him for? Why are you here, Sirius?" She said his name with a certain degree of loathing.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her. "You'll find out shortly. You're wasting our time, Cissy. We need to get going and Lucy needs to come with us." He turned to one of the other Aurors. "Search the place. Every room, every nook and corner of this house. Get the others as well." Sirius ordered crisply.

"Yes, sir." The auror hastened to carry out his orders. "Search the place? You have absolutely no right. You barge into my house and start ordering people around? Get out!" Narcissa snapped, glaring at the Black brothers.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. This is something that was supposed to be done years ago but wasn't. Here, take a look." He took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to the woman. She opened it rather harshly and read through the contents. A little colour left her face, giving her an even paler, sickly appearance. "A search warrant?"

"Yes. I see that your rudimentary reading skills are just fine. Now, Draco, your mother won't do it. So, please go and get your father." Said Sirius, beginning to lose patience. Draco stood still for a minute and stared at the man, contemplating whether or not to obey. Ultimately he decided to face his father's wrath instead of Black's and rushed up the stairs.

His father was in his study, oblivious to his impending doom. Bracing himself for a volley of insults, he knocked on the door. As expected, he heard angry footsteps and the door was thrown open. "What did I tell you? Do. Not. Bother. Me!" Lucius barked, looking at his son angrily. "Father, Lord Black is here." He chose a respectful form of address because he remembered what had happened the last time. He'd called that Granger girl a mudblood and landed himself in detention. That day, he found out that Black had very sharp ears.

"B-Black?" Lucius' blanched at the mention of his name. He should've known better than to relax so quickly. "Yes, father. He wants you to come downstairs." Draco elaborated. Malfoy's eyes widened with terror. He recalled the warning he had received earlier: _I suggest you enjoy yourself. It won't last, I assure you._ He should not have ignored that warning. He had to escape, do something in order to save himself. He tried to apparate but was unable to do so. There was clearly no escape now.

He couldn't even bribe his way out. That might've worked with people like Fudge and other petty aurors but it most certainly wouldn't work with Black. His heart was beating erratically as he made his way down the spiral stairway, followed by his son.

Malfoy reached the living room and his eyes all but popped out of his head at what he saw. Regulus Black was standing in his house, looking completely at ease. How was he even alive? He had betrayed the Dark Lord, hadn't he? He was supposed to have died long ago. Next to Regulus was the man responsible for all this: Sirius Black.

"Ah, Malfoy! There you are. We've been waiting for you." Said Sirius, like he was greeting an old friend. Malfoy didn't know what to do. He was completely and utterly trapped. He glanced at his wife who looked equal amounts of angry and confused. "What do you want?" He asked, trying and failing to keep the fear out of his voice.

"I'm here to deliver your surprise. All in due time, remember? Although, this _is_ rather overdue. But, enough fun and games." The amusement melted off Sirius' face, replaced by a rather formidable expression. At that time, Malfoy was strongly reminded of the resemblance he bore to Orion Black. Though father and son had been completely different, they still looked very much alike. And, Sirius had inherited that fearsome temper from him in the first place.

"Your house is being turned upside down. I'm sure we are bound to find several... interesting devices in here. Once the search has been completed, you will come with us. You can either come willingly or we could try out other ways as well. But, I assure you, they will be far more unpleasant." Said Sirius.

"Come with you? For what?" He demanded, trying to sound bold. Sirius sent him a deadly glare. "For what? Are you a total fool? We're obviously not going to discuss political affairs and fashion trends. We're taking you in for questioning." His blood ran cold when he heard that.

"You're going to arrest me?" He asked, barely believing the words. It was Regulus who answered. "Honestly Malfoy, you are slower than I imagined. Yes. You are under arrest. Have we not been clear enough? Now, we really should be going. Come on." Malfoy looked at the younger Black disbelievingly. This couldn't be happening, not to him. He was Lucius Malfoy, one of the most influential people in the Wizarding world!

"Sir, why is my father being taken in?" All heads turned to look at Draco. His expression was one of confusion. Sirius' expression softened slightly when he looked at Draco. It wasn't the boy's fault that his father was a death eater. "We need some answers and certain consequences will have to be borne. I'm afraid that your father has a lot to answer for." The boy didn't say anything after that.

"Consequences? We've done nothing wrong!" Narcissa asserted. Sirius chuckled wryly at that. "Cissy, you should be thankful we're not taking you in as well. I suggest you keep it that way." Sirius replied. "Malfoy, give me your wand." Sirius held out his hand. "M-My wand?" He stuttered. "Yes, Malfoy. We need to examine it." He didn't move a muscle but after two minutes or so, with trembling fingers, he handed it over. Sirius ran his fingers over the silver snake handle and then along the length of it. "Wood?" He asked. "E-Elm."

"And what about the core?" There came the next question. "D-Dragon heart string." He whispered. Sirius merely hummed in response. "Sir, it's done." One of the aurors informed him. "Did you find anything?" Sirius asked, although he already knew the answer. "Yes, sir. A lot."

"Very well. Collect it all and we will take a look at it once we get back." said Sirius before going back to Malfoy. "Turn around." He ordered sharply. Not wanting to make matters worse, Malfoy complied. There was a click and his wrists had been secured behind him. "Don't worry, Cissy. We won't be coming back any time soon." Said Regulus with a smirk.

As they headed out, Sirius took one last look at the occupants of the house. Narcissa looked angry as well as afraid lest she should meet the same fate. Draco on the other hand appeared...relieved?

Deciding to think more about that later, Sirius watched as two aurors escorted Malfoy to the floo. Well, part of the job was done. Lot more to cover.

* * *

At exactly six thirty, Sirius flooed over to the Weasleys. He was pretty sure that his son must've had a complete blast the entire day. "Hi Dad!" Harry yelled, the moment he stepped out of the floo. It was evident that the boy had enjoyed himself.

"I take that you're ready to leave?" He asked, ruffling Harry's hair. "Yeah. You won't believe how much fun I had today..." He then proceeded to tell Sirius about all that he had done. The man observed the over enthusiastic way in which his son was speaking and shook his head with a smile. _Too much sugar._ "Come on pup, time to go home." After a quick bye to all the Weasleys, he promptly led Harry over to the floo.

Once they were home, Sirius sent Harry upstairs for a bath since the boy had done nothing but lounge around outside and play Quidditch all day. He found Regulus sitting in his armchair, going through a file. Next to him, was another file that had been marked as classified. "What's that?" He asked. "It contains... darker information."

"So what are you looking at?" Sirius asked, gesturing towards the file Reg was currently reading. "Just some details regarding Malfoy's case. It's nothing we aren't aware of. Education, finances, credentials. That's about it." Regulus explained. "When you were going through those files, I took a look at the 'artifacts' we found at Malfoy's. We found some pretty dark stuff in there." Said Sirius. "We couldn't examine most of it since we require certain equipment. I told the others that we'll work on it tomorrow." He continued.

"I take that we have this... equipment in our dear father's room?" Regulus inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Yes. I'll see to that later. I've kept that room locked ever since I moved back in. I didn't want Harry anywhere near it. The place practically exudes darkness." Sirius remarked. The other man chuckled bitterly at that. "It does. He never really was sunshine and daises."

Just then, Harry came barreling down the stairs. "Hey mate. You're right on time. We were just about to start dinner." Said Reg, grinning at Harry. "Great. I'm absolutely starving." Harry complained, dragging Sirius to the table.

After dinner, Harry engaged himself with 'Quidditch through the Ages' although it was clear that the boy was fighting to stay awake. It was barely nine thirty but he was already yawning all over the place. "Pup, why don't you go on upstairs? I'll be there in a minute." Sirius suggested. "I'm not tired." Harry protested. His father smiled in response. "I know you aren't. But, I'm a mean person. I need to tell Regulus about all those embarrassing things you did as a baby after which we're going to talk about you some more. So, I suggest you get into bed." Sirius quipped.

Rolling his eyes, Harry said goodnight to Regulus and headed upstairs. He was just putting his book away when his dad came inside. He smiled at the man, suppressing yet another yawn. "And you said you weren't sleepy," said Sirius, shaking his head. "Maybe a little sleepy," Harry admitted sheepishly. "So, how was your first day at work? What did you do?" He asked, climbing into bed. "I wish I could tell you but it's classified." Sirius whispered conspiratorially. Then, he playfully swatted the boy's backside and brought the covers up to Harry's chin.

Giggling, Harry snuggled underneath the covers and closed his eyes. "Goodnight Dad," he mumbled, the exhaustion catching up with him. His dad ran a hand through his hair after which he kissed his forehead and left the room.

* * *

Malfoy looked at his appearance in the glass and almost physically drew back. One night in a holding cell had done quite a bit of damage. His blond hair that was normally slicked back was dishevelled, there were bags under his eyes and his back was aching. The hard mattress that had been provided was no help at all. He wasn't used to sleeping on anything other than the soft, feather like beds in his house. And so, his sleep had been uncomfortable and disturbed.

Although he wanted nothing more than to escape, he hadn't dared to try and bribe the aurors who were guarding him. They all worked under Black and he was aware that none of them was foolish enough to incur the wrath of Sirius Black.

Early in the morning, he had been rudely awakened and brought into the interrogation room. He jolted himself into alertness when he heard the door being opened. Regulus walked in and sat down on the other side of the desk. _Where was the other one?_ "I know, you were expecting Sirius to come in. Don't worry; he'll be joining us shortly."

Malfoy glared at the other man, wondering what went wrong. Regulus had once been the Dark Lord's servant as well. What had happened? Regulus hadn't been a part of the inner circle but he had been a death eater. Why did he change?

"So are you going to say anything or just sit there?" Regulus asked, crossing his arms. "Piss off." His fear turned to anger because of the whole situation. How in the world had he landed himself here?

Regulus shook his head mockingly. "I'd be careful if I were you, Malfoy. Unlike me, my older brother is not quite as forgiving when it comes to rudeness and disrespect. You really don't want to mess things up any further. You've already made it to the top of his blacklist." As if on cue, Sirius walked in, carrying a thick file.

He didn't bother to sit down and slammed the file down with a loud thud, causing Malfoy to flinch. "Public misconduct, malfeasance, verbal assault, violation of justice, misuse of resources— I could keep going. Every time, every single time, the charges were dropped. Honestly Malfoy, how, how did you pull it off?"

Malfoy remained silent. "I'm assuming you bribed quite a few individuals to do this. I want their names along with the department in which they work. I expect it on my desk by tomorrow." Sirius continued, taking a seat. "You'll get nothing from me, Black." He snarled. Sirius rolled his eyes at that stupid statement. "I thought you'd say something like that. So, I acquired this." He placed a roll of parchment on the table. "That's a permission slip. To extract information by _any means necessary_."

At the last sentence, a shiver ran down Malfoy's spine. That was when he realised the gravity of the situation and its hopelessness. He was stuck. There was no other way to save himself. "You'll have the names." He mumbled. "Now that's more like it. Next, talk me through your journey with Voldemort." Although the sentence was casually put forth, the steel in those stormy eyes threatened him. He couldn't do that. He couldn't betray the Dark Lord. The other death eaters who were in hiding would come for him.

"I c-cannot do that." His tone bordered on desperation but Sirius wasn't moved. "Here's the deal. Names in exchange for a reduced sentence. You're already in for forty years. The more valuable the information, the lesser your sentence. Can we work with that, Malfoy?" It was hardly a question. But, Malfoy decided to do it. The moment he heard the word 'sentence,' he changed his mind. May the others be damned. He had to save himself first.

The Dark Lord wasn't active anymore. So, if he gave away Secrets, the only problem he had to face were his loyal followers. But, if those followers were rotting in Azkaban, no one would be able to touch him. He couldn't afford to spend forty years in prison. It just wasn't possible. The only feasible solution was cooperation.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

And so he obeyed. He told both the brothers all that he knew. He was thankful that the Dark Lord wasn't around at that time or he would have surely died a most horrible and excruciating death. He spoke about the different attacks, the reasons behind them, as well as the Death Eaters responsible for them. He himself had carried out a number of such attacks.

After an hour or so, he had told them everything he knew. "That's all." He said, once he was done. "We still need to verify everything you've told us. Once we are satisfied, you'll receive a trial." Said Regulus. "How long will I be in prison?" He dreaded the answer to that particular question. There was no getting out of it. He could only pray that the DMLE would be merciful in their judgement.

"Depends on the usefulness of your information. For now, you will be moved back to your cell. After the trial, it's time for Azkaban. For your sake, I hope whatever you have told us is true. Until next time, Malfoy." Sirius replied. And with that, the interrogation came to an end. The two aurors who had taken him to his cell were ordered to take him back.

As he left the room, there was only one feeling inside of him: regret. There were a lot of things he regretted. Most of all, he regretted crossing Sirius Black. If he had just heeded the warning he had received, he wouldn't have been here today.

And so, that was how Lucius Malfoy, a once influential socialite was reduced to nothing more than a man who was about to pay for all his sins.

* * *

 **And there's your update! Let me know what you think.** **For those of you who think that Sirius was a little too harsh in this chapter, he wasn't. Malfoy is a death eater. He belonged to the dark side. Sirius detested every single aspect that was even remotely related to the Dark arts. That obviously includes death eaters.**

 **For those of you who are also reading Padfoot and his Pup, I haven't abandoned it. Just give me your requests and I'll have it uploaded. Read and review!**


	29. Chapter 28: A Dark Revelation

"Finally!" Regulus exclaimed as he pulled out the small box. They were yet to go through Malfoy's collection. So, he had been searching for the requisite equipment in his father's room. He opened the box and pulled out the ring. To anyone else, it looked like any other ring: a plain band of silver studded with an emerald. But, Regulus knew better. It was the very ring that his father had used to detect dark magic. The man had been a 'collector' of sorts. It had been one of his interests: gathering dark objects and 'souvenirs'.

He slipped it onto the ring finger of his right hand. Years ago, he had possessed one of the darkest creation in the world but he'd finally been rid if it. He rolled up his left sleeve and looked at the slightly blackened spot on his forearm. It had taken great efforts to get it off but after some tricky spells and goblins' old magic, he had accomplished pain had been excruciating for a while but it was better than carrying around a constant reminder of his horrible mistakes.

Sirius had already left for work while he had chosen to stay home and tend to this important task. The emerald on the ring glowed whenever it was exposed to darkness. Red, if the magnitude of darkness was mild to moderate and black if it was extremely high.

He was about to look for something else when the floo roared to life loudly. It was a fire call. It must be Sirius. His brother had told him that he would call if needed. Regulus stood, and exited the room, pulling the door behind him as he left.

* * *

Harry closed his Transfiguration textbook and pumped his fist in the air. He had successfully completely one of the four essays that had been assigned to the students for the vacations. His father had told him to have it completed by the end of the day and so; he had done as told.

He decided that after two hours of dutifully doing his homework, he deserved a break. He grabbed his Nimbus Two Thousand and stepped out of his room. That's when he noticed it.

The door on the far end of the first floor was slightly ajar. Harry frowned a bit at that. It was one of those rooms in which he wasn't allowed. Sirius had given him explicit instructions to stay out of those rooms. So far, he had followed that particular rule without any complaint.

But now, when he saw the open door, he started to get curious. He hadn't realized it before but he really wanted to know what was in those rooms. He looked around and saw that Regulus was nowhere to be seen and his father wasn't at home. _Don't do this. Don't do this. It's a bad, bad idea._ He firmly told himself but ultimately, curiosity got the better of him.

While the sensible side of him knew that it wasn't the right thing to do, his legs automatically moved towards the door. Harry stopped at the door and peered inside. He couldn't make out anything much other than a wardrobe. He pushed the door and quietly stepped inside. He took in his surroundings as he stood at the entrance.

It obviously was someone's bedroom. It was rather sparsely furnished and contained nothing more than a bed, a wardrobe, a nightstand, a desk and another door that probably led to the bathroom. The furniture was old but had a sort of elegant charm to it, like the rest of the house. Despite the expensive decor, the room had a rather dark feel to it.

A trunk lay on the floor, thrown open. Harry knelt down in front of it, wanting to take a closer look at the contents. Most of the objects in the trunk were securely wrapped and sealed. There was a small box that had been recently opened. Cautiously, he grabbed the lid of the trunk and pulled it down. The name was faded but Harry could still make out the letters: Orion Black. It belonged to Sirius' father.

"I thought Sirius asked you to stay out of these rooms?" Harry nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around. Regulus was leaning against the door with his arms loosely crossed across his chest. Harry gulped, desperately trying to find a way to explain himself. The man didn't appear angry but he didn't look particularly pleased either.

If his dad had found him, he could have known what to expect. Sirius wouldn't have been happy to find him here. A few stern words accompanied by a warning and the matter would have been closed.

Regulus approached him and Harry instinctively tensed. _He's not going to hurt you!_ He scolded himself. "So? What are you doing in here?" The man raised an eyebrow at him, questioningly. "I was... I was curious." He admitted and braced himself for a rebuke. But, Regulus only gave him a lopsided grin. "It happens to all of us. Just don't come in here again. Not a very nice place. Off you go."

Harry stared at Regulus in amazement. "That's it? You're not going to yell at me?" He blurted out. Regulus chuckled slightly at his question. "I'm not your dad, kiddo. I'll leave the yelling to Sirius. You ever get into trouble with him, it'll be my responsibility to try and get you out of it." The man promised with a wink.

Harry grinned and his tension eased away. "But seriously, I don't want you in here again," said Regulus. "I swear; I won't come here ever." Harry replied. "Great. In that case, I don't think we need to tell my brother about this." Harry's eyes widened with surprise. "Are you serious?"

"No, he is." Regulus answered with a smile. He ruffled Harry's hair playfully but his grin faded and he slowly retracted his hand. "What's wrong?" Harry asked, hurt. Regulus quickly regained composure and forced a smile for the boy's sake. "It's nothing, don't you worry. Go on now; you were supposed to go flying, right?" He asked, pointing towards the broom. Harry seemed unconvinced, but when Reg gave him an encouraging nod, he picked up his broom and headed out of the door. "Bye Reg!" He called out as he left the room.

He didn't notice the frown on Regulus face or the ring on the man's hand that was currently emitting a black glow.

"This had better be good, Regulus. What was so bloody important that you had to call me home in the middle of work?" Those were Sirius' first lines when he apparated home. Regulus felt relief wash over him, the moment his brother was home. He needed to tell Sirius about what he had witnessed a few minutes ago.

There was no way that the ring could have made a mistake. It was always right. "Oh it's urgent alright. Something strange happened today."

He must have sounded pretty tense because Sirius' anger was immediately replaced by worry. "What's wrong, Reg?" He asked. "Today, I found father's ring; the one we were looking for."

"Okay... what happened after that?" Sirius asked, since there obviously had to be more to this. "I slipped it onto my finger since I knew that we'd need it later, to examine the things we found at Malfoy's. When I tousled Harry's hair, the ring glowed. Black."

First; pure shock washed over his face after which Sirius shook his head disbelievingly. What his brother had just told him was absolutely ridiculous. "That's rubbish. There's no way that could have happened. Harry is anything but dark. There's definitely some mistake here."

Regulus calmly shook his head. "The ring never lies. You know that just as well as I do. I'm not imagining this, Sirius. The ring really did glow." Sirius glared at his brother. "So you're trying to say that Harry's dark? Do you even realise what you are saying? My son is anything but evil."

The younger Black held up his hands in a placating manner. He knew that his brother was very overprotective when it came to Harry. "Look, I'm not saying that he's evil. Of course he isn't. But, that doesn't change what I saw. Sirius, I know that Harry is not a dark one. He's far, far away from the dark side. All I'm saying is that the ring glowed. If something is amiss, we need to fix it before the situation gets out of hand." Regulus explained.

He could almost see the gears turning in his older brother's head. Finally, Sirius nodded his acceptance. "You're right. But first, I want to see this for myself." He said. "I'm sure you do."

About half an hour later, Harry came back inside. "Hey, Dad. How come you're home so early?" He asked, grinning at Sirius. The man offered his son a small smile and patted the space next to him. "I just needed to look into something," he replied. He slung an arm over Harry's shoulders before reaching up to ruffle his hair. "So, what have you been up to, all morning?"

Harry looked at Regulus who gave him a smile; indicating that his little secret was safe. "Uh... nothing actually. I did that essay like you asked me to and then went flying." He replied. "Go put your broom away, we'll have lunch together."

The boy nodded enthusiastically before getting up. As he went towards the stairs, he lightly brushed past Regulus, who was sitting in one of the sofas. Sirius caught the unmistakable black glow of the ring. Once Harry was out of earshot, the man turned to his brother. "You were right, Reg," he admitted. "But what exactly is wrong over here? He's lived with me for over a year and till date, there's been absolutely no sign of darkness form him." Sirius remarked.

His son was without doubt, one of the sweetest people one could ever meet. The frightened pup he had met a year ago didn't know a thing about being evil. Despite being so badly abused by his muggle relatives, Harry hadn't done anything to them in return. How could someone like that be evil?

"Sirius, I'm not saying that he's dark. But, there is something dark inside of him. He's isn't aware of it. I've known him for less than a month but I completely agree with you: Harry is anything but evil. All I'm saying is that we need to help him out."

"I know. I'll do whatever I can to help him. We need to find out what exactly is going on. Once we find out why the ring is glowing, it'll be easier to look for a solution."

"Precisely. Now, I take that you'd like to stay with him for a while? If you want, I'll go and examine whatever is required." Regulus suggested. Sirius nodded right away. He needed to find out what was wrong. "Thanks Reggie. I'll go and see what we can find in the library. A place as huge as that; we're bound to find something."

"Call me if you find anything." Said Regulus. "Will do."

After lunch, Regulus left for work and Sirius went to the library. Harry, who had been awake, last night, playing around; promptly fell asleep in his room.

Sirius ran his finger down the list of dark objects and their effect on different living creatures. So far, he hadn't come across anything that could be so dark as to cause the ring to glow so brightly. He was certain that the ring hadn't responded to Harry's scar. The scar was just something the boy had received on that fateful night.

Sighing, he closed the book and pinched the bridge of his nose. He got up and headed out of the library. There was no point in sitting there when he could find nothing. He made up his mind to work on it later.

* * *

"So, I assume you didn't find anything?" Regulus inquired as Sirius walked into the auror department; looking visibly upset. "Nothing. What about you? Any success at all?" Sirius asked, going into his office. "Actually yes. We managed to neutralize a good deal of the artefacts that we found at Malfoy's. I must say, he had quite an interesting collection. Apparently he was a prime customer at Borgin and Burke's. One would assume he was trying to imitate father's collection."

"Of course he was. He was always following him around. What else?" Regulus continued: "The objects that couldn't be neutralized; were destroyed. Some of them couldn't be destroyed so we've set them aside. As for the list of names you asked for; it's right there, on your desk." Regulus pointed to a thin file that was sitting on top of his desk. Sirius picked up the file and ran through the details. "That little scumbag had several people in almost every department, doing his bidding."

"How the mighty have fallen. There's also the other information that he gave us; the one about all the death eaters. We'll have to go after them." Sirius nodded in agreement. "I know. In fact, I'll take a look at the names right now. We can start tracking them down. The sooner we have them under lock and key, the better." Said Sirius. "It won't be long before word gets out that Malfoy was arrested. We have managed to keep this under wraps for now. But, at the trial, several people will be present. One of them is bound to let something slip, albeit accidentally."

"Let's not forget about the Prophet and all the reporters who will be there." Regulus pointed out. "We'll handle them and get it done as soon as possible."

Malfoy's trial was not the only reason Sirius wanted to get the work done quickly. He just wanted something to do. He needed to get his mind off that glowing ring. It was constantly bugging him. "Sirius?" Regulus looked at him; concern on his face. "Don't worry about Harry. We will figure it out. I know how important this is for you and trust me, we will find a solution."

Sirius hoped with all his might that his brother was right. The day he had adopted Harry, he'd sworn to himself that he would do right by the boy. So far, he'd kept that promise. He wasn't going to break it now.

* * *

As planned, Malfoy's trial was a hushed affair. The DMLE, a handful of aurors, Malfoy's immediate family and a few others were the only ones who were present. The accusations were all verified once more and the verdict was passed.

"Lucius Malfoy, for your crimes against the Wizarding community; you are herby sentenced to fifteen years in Azkaban." His sentence had been reduced as a compensation for the valuable information that he had provided.

He was then escorted to a holding cell so that he could meet his wife and son. After that, he would be transported directly to the Wizarding prison.

Draco and Narcissa were let into the cell. The woman had an expression of pure angst on her face. She spoke quietly to her husband while her son stood next to her. "I'll be outside. We can leave once you're done." She told Draco before exiting the cell.

Draco stared at his father silently. "Father," he greeted, not sure about what to say. "Draco."

"Why?" The boy asked, unable to bear the silence any longer. "What do you mean why?" The man demanded coldly. "I always did as you asked. I tried my level best to be the son you wanted. I walked, talked and behaved according to your instructions. I pushed people away because it's what you wanted, I refused to show weakness by expressing emotions, I acknowledged and accepted your beliefs regarding pureblood superiority and followed your orders without question."

"So? You were only doing what was expected of you," Lucius icily replied. "What's your point?"

Draco felt hot tears burning behind his eyes. All his life, he had tried to be the dutiful and obedient son. "All my life, all I ever wanted was your approval. I tried my utmost. But, all I received at the end of the day was your disappointment. Why? I want to know, father. Why were you always so disappointed in me?"

The man stared at his son, long and hard. "I don't know." He replied quietly. And truly, he didn't know.

Draco finally gave in to the tears and let them fall. He glared at his father. "I'm done. I tried and failed all my life to gain your approval. But today, I have realized that you don't deserve it. Whatever I did was never good enough. I may not be a very good son; but you are definitely not a good father." His voice sounded hoarse and broken; even to himself.

Without another word, Draco wiped away the tears that were falling rapidly and left the room.

That day, Lucius Malfoy didn't just lose his freedom. He also lost his only son.

* * *

"Could it have something to do with Voldemort?" Regulus asked suddenly. Sirius frowned at that possibility. "Voldemort? I don't think that is possible. When Harry destroyed that diary, Voldemort's preserved memory was also destroyed. He's too weak to do anything right now." Sirius replied. But, even as he said those words; he could help but think: _what if it really was Voldemort?_

"Hmm. Maybe." Regulus seemed convinced; but Sirius wasn't. "Hey, I'll take a look at this for a while. Why don't you take a break?" Regulus suggested, noticing Sirius' tensed expression. "Thanks. I could definitely use it." Sirius left the library, leaving Regulus to go through the books by himself.

Feeling a bit knackered, Sirius ran a hand through his hair and went up the stairs, to Harry's room. He frowned slightly when he saw the boy simply lying on the bed. "Pup, are you alright?" He enquired worriedly, as he saw down on the bed. Sitting up, Harry gave him a shrug. "I'm feeling sort of tired." He admitted.

"Tired?" The man placed his hand over Harry's forehead, to check if he was warm; but found that the temperature was normal. "Well, you don't have a fever or anything. Are you hungry?" The boy shook his head. "Since when have you been feeling this way?"

"I don't know, Dad. A few days maybe. I thought it was just the tiredness from playing Quidditch or something but I haven't actually done anything today. I'm still tired." Said Harry. "Was this exhaustion present after we came home from Hogwarts as well?" Sirius asked, hoping that the answer would be no. Prolonged tiredness was a concern, yes. But, if this tiredness had something to do with the glowing of the ring: that was definitely a major issue.

"I'm not exactly sure. I mean, I was kind of tired at the end of the day but that was because of all the chores that you gave me." Harry pointed out with a playful accusatory note in his voice. Sirius only wished he could return Harry's smile. The tiredness that Harry had been feeling; couldn't have been a result of his punishment.

His son had spoken about bad days with his horrible relatives and all the housework they had forced him into. He'd done more than five times the work back then and was still able to wake up early the next day; to complete the same routine. This meant that all this had begun after the incident in the Chamber of Secrets. Since the past few days, Harry had been going to bed earlier than usual. This new fatigue was something else altogether.

He'd ponder over that later. For now, he rolled his eyes and ruffled Harry's hair. "Oh come on now, I don't think I was that bad." The boy laughed a bit at that. "Yes you were. You never listened when I told you that I was bored. I'm tired of that boredom, Dad. Since I was grounded, I couldn't even go out anywhere. It was just you and me all day. You got a little boring after a bit." Harry replied with a mischievous grin.

"Why you cheeky little brat!"

Giggling, Harry reached out to hug his father and Sirius returned it instantly. He rested one hand on the back of Harry's head and the other around his middle. As he wrapped his arms protectively around his son, he made a promise to himself. It didn't matter what this problem was. He was going to help Harry. After years of pain, his pup was finally happy. He would do whatever was needed to keep it that way.

 _You're going get to the bottom of this, Black. You will do this._

* * *

"I must say, that Weasley woman is quite fond of Harry." Regulus commented one night. Since Sirius had been busy with work, Regulus had gone over instead. "Oh she certainly is." Sirius affirmed.

"She kept talking about how Harry had a very kind and gentle soul and how her entire family would forever be indebted to the two of you." But, Sirius had stopped listening the moment Regulus had said the word 'soul'. _Soul. Soul. Soul! SOUL!_

He recalled his earlier observation of how it had started after defeating Voldemort in the Chamber. _Damn it!_ He hoped with all he had that he was wrong. The diary, Harry's tiredness and above all: the soul. It was all bloody connected!

Voldemort was a sick, conniving and malicious bugger but he was clever. Very clever. That day, in the Chamber when Sirius had demanded to know as to how he was able to look into Harry's mind; the dark wizard had lied with an admirable ease.

It wasn't fear. It had never been the fear. No; this was something far deeper. Harry's unusual weariness began almost immediately after the diary had been destroyed. Sirius prayed that his theory was wrong; but a strong gut feeling told him that he was unfortunately correct.

Voldemort's mannerisms and behavioral patterns clearly indicated that he was utterly heartless. He didn't have a soul. Sirius didn't mean that metaphorically. Voldemort was literally empty on the inside. He was just so cruel and vile. But, this was a completely different level of evil. He hadn't destroyed his soul. He had divided it. There was dark magic and then there was unspeakably dark magic. What Voldemort had done was the latter. His father had spoken about it once or twice. So, Sirius knew a good deal about it.

His conclusion was based partly on deduction and instinct. His instincts told him that he was absolutely correct. That day, when Harry had destroyed Voldemort's diary; he hadn't just annihilated his memory. Oh no; he had obliterated something much bigger. He had destroyed a piece of Voldemort's soul itself.

Hed never realised this before but now he knew. In the Wizarding war; Sirius had fought the Dark Lord and although he had managed to significantly wound him; he'd never been able to kill him. Now he knew why. There was nothing inside Voldemort that could be killed. He had finally managed to unravel the secret of the glowing ring. The tiredness, the diary – it all pointed towards one thing.

"-ius! SIRIUS! Are you even listening to me?" Sirius looked at Regulus with grave solemnity in his eyes.

"I think Harry is a horcrux."

* * *

 **And so, my fellow witches and wizards; there's your update. I hope you'll enjoyed it.**


	30. Chapter 29: The Horcrux

"Horcrux? Sirius, that is absolutely absurd." Regulus replied. "It's not. I wish I weren't right; but I am. This is bad. This is bloody terrible." Sirius mumbled to himself. "Sirius, Sirius; calm down for a second. Now, take it slowly. Tell me how on earth you arrived at this impossible conclusion."

Sirius took a deep breath and tried to stem the train of thought. "Look, do you remember what father had once said about horcruxes? A Horcrux is an object in which a Dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul for the purpose of attaining immortality. It can only be created by cold-blooded murder of an innocent soul. That has always been Voldemort's ultimate goal: immortality. When Harry destroyed that diary, he didn't just remove Voldemort's memory from it. He destroyed a part of his soul. That's why Voldemort's very weak now."

"Okay. But what in Merlin's name does that have to do with Harry?" Regulus was utterly baffled. "A person's soul is not something that can be easily scattered and forgotten about. Voldemort split his soul into a few bits. Although the pieces were hidden in different corners of the earth; they were still connected to one another. That's why, when the diary was destroyed, so was the horcrux inside it."

"So that's why Harry's feeling tired?" Regulus asked. "Exactly. Since the different parts of the soul are connected, the destruction of one of them affects the others as well." Although Sirius' voice sounded calm, his mind was in complete turmoil. He didn't know how Voldemort had done it but he had somehow managed to hide a part of his soul inside Harry's body.

His son was a horcrux. There was a piece of Voldemort's soul tucked somewhere deep inside Harry. Sirius wasn't sure if this weakness would escalate into something else but he wanted to nip this at the bud itself. His pup had been through a lot. He didn't want any more problems for Harry.

Harry's soul was pure while Voldemort's was the most evil, dark and heartless soul that existed. "So what do you want to do now?" Regulus inquired. Sirius shook his head, at a loss. "I don't know, Reg. I just don't know. I need to tell Harry about it, he deserves to know. As for a solution; I won't rest until I've found one." Sirius answered with a steely glint of determination in his eyes.

"We will find a way, don't worry. We're aware of the cause now; the solution isn't far away." Regulus assured him. "I hope so, Regulus. This is something entirely different from the problems we've dealt with so far. I can't believe I didn't know." Sighing, Sirius ran his hand through his hair, trying to control his emotions.

His thoughts wandered to the boy who was sound asleep upstairs. There had to be a way. "When did Voldemort do this?" Regulus asked, looking equally disturbed.

Sirius was about to reply that he didn't know but that's when the answer hit him. He did know! "On the night he murdered Lily and James." He replied quietly. "How do you know?"

Sirius wished he didn't know; but one by one, his mind was being bombarded with answers. "That was the only night he could've done it. After that, he lost his power. In the chamber, although he wasn't weak, he wasn't real either. He was just a memory. He wouldn't have been able to split his soul, because there wasn't anything inside him. The damage had already been done."

The man felt horrible. He had no idea what to do. He knew quite a bit about horcruxes, which meant that he was also aware of how to destroy them. But, they were all extremely dark and risky methods. He wasn't willing to take such a huge risk. "Hey, Sirius; listen to me. I know this is bothering you a lot but we're going to find a way out of this." Regulus reassured him once again.

I don't think we should tell Harry about all this right now." Regulus suggested. When Sirius was about to object, he hurriedly continued. "I know you're against the idea but it's just for a little while. He'll get awfully worked up and upset. I'm not saying that we must hide it from him. All I'm saying is that let's wait until we are closer to finding a solution."

Sirius realized that his brother's words were logical. He knew his pup well. The boy would be greatly shaken. "You're right. I'll talk to him about it later on. For now, I plan to work on a way to deal with this."

"And I'll help you. It's rather late. I think it's time for bed now." Regulus replied, getting up and heading to his room. But Sirius didn't head up to his own room. He knew damn well that he wouldn't be able to sleep that night.

* * *

The next morning, Sirius was feeling very unsettled. He hadn't found any solution despite staying up and thinking all night. Spells were out of the question since he couldn't perform any of them without hurting Harry. In fact, it was Regulus who had managed to come up with an idea. "So are you going to tell me what it is?" Sirius asked, with a hint of impatience in his voice.

Regulus appeared rather hesitant to disclose his idea. "Um... well, a few years ago, I got rid of the you know what." He admitted. "You did?" A small smile flitted across Sirius' face at that. "Mmhm. I couldn't take it anymore. So, I asked the goblins to help me out."

Sirius raised a surprised eyebrow. "They helped me out and I was able to get it off. It was bloody painful for a couple of days but completely worth it." Said Regulus. The older Black frowned thoughtfully before nodding. "I don't see any harm in talking to the goblins. If there's one thing you can expect from them is total secrecy and discretion. We can trust them."

"That we can. It'll be quite safe." Regulus said. "Well, if we're going to meet the goblins, I think it's only sensible to take Harry along. In that case, I'll have to explain this to him." Their previous agreement of not telling Harry was therefore overridden.

After breakfast, Sirius pushed back in his chair and braced himself for the conversation. Tactfully, Regulus excused himself and left the dining room. Harry must've noticed the grim expression on his father's face and frowned slightly. "Dad, is everything alright?"

"We need to talk about a few things, pup." Sirius began. "Am I in trouble or something?" Harry inquired warily. The man cracked a small grin and shook his head. "Of course not. I just need to tell you something important." The boy nodded so Sirius continued.

"Have you noticed the ring that Regulus started to wear recently?" Harry hummed in response. "That ring detects dark magic. Whenever you bring it close to a dark object, the ring glows. Red when the object isn't very dark and black when the darkness emanating from the source is immense."

The only emotion on the boy's face was confusion. "Okay... but what does that have to do with me?" He asked. Taking a deep breath, Sirius steeled himself. Here comes the hard part. "The thing is, when Reg brought the ring close to you the other day, it glowed."

Harry still hadn't understood what Sirius was saying. He mistook the statement for an accusation. "Dad, I swear, I haven't been doing anything dangerous. I didn't d—" Sirius reached out and took Harry's hands in his own. "What did I just say? You're not in any trouble. I'm not saying that the ring glowed because you did something. In fact, you did absolutely nothing."

"Then why did it glow?" Harry asked, a little mollified that he wasn't in trouble. "Have you ever heard of the word 'horcrux'?" He shook his head. "A horcrux is an extremely dark object. It is formed when an evil wizard or witch buries a part of their soul in something. In order to attain immortality, some Dark people decide to split their soul into pieces. Voldemort was such a wizard. He divided his soul and hid it inside different places."

"Dad, I still don't get it."

"Pup, no one is blaming you for this, alright? Just hear me out for a bit. On the night... on the night that he killed-" Sirius swallowed. "On the night that he killed your parents, he somehow managed to transfer a bit of his soul into the only living being in that room. I don't know how it happened, but a fragment of his soul was transferred into your body."

It took Harry a minute to understand exactly what Sirius had said. It hit him with the force of a brick wall. _There was a part of Voldemort living inside his person._ As his mind processed this information, he began to hyperventilate. Shock. That was what he felt right now.

He didn't hear Sirius calling his name, trying to get attention. Voldemort was inside him. He felt disgusted with himself. That disgust led to another thought. One that he had buried inside his mind with great difficulty. _Freak_. It was as though that word triggered something. His relatives had been right about him.

He shot out of his chair and bolted outside, out of the house. He didn't know where he was going. He just wanted to get away from Sirius. He was a bloody horcrux! He didn't deserve to be around someone as kind as his father. He knew that he wouldn't be able to look the man in the eye without breaking down like an utter baby.

When Harry couldn't run anymore, he sank down amongst the trees and bushes. The wards didn't let him pass so he couldn't run out of the gates. Instead, he was stuck in the back of the massive property. The person who had mercilessly murdered his parents was inside him. Although his relatives hadn't meant it in that way, they'd been right to call him a freak. He was nothing more than a freak.

Every shred of self worth that he had built up over the past year came crashing down. He angrily wiped away the tears that had gathered in his eyes. The self-loathing grew with each passing second. He didn't know how long he sat there, knees drawn to his chest and tears flowing down his cheeks.

He didn't look up and notice his father walking towards him. He stiffened when two strong arms wrapped around him: one on his back and the other under his knees, lifting him off the ground. Under normal circumstances, he would've protested on being carried like a small child.

He didn't deserve this kind treatment. Not when Voldemort was inside of him. He struggled to be put down but Sirius held firm. "Stop that, pup." Sirius told him. "Dad, please put me down." He whispered and his words came out in a rather desperate tone. The man must've sensed it because he reluctantly set him down.

"Harry, what's all this about? You didn't hear me out. Come on, let's get back to the house." Said Sirius. "He's inside me. All these years, a part of him was living in my body and I never ever realised."

"Harry, there was no way you could've known about it. Heck I found out only yesterday and that's because of the ring. You've done nothing wrong." Sirius stated resolutely. "Dad, I hate this. I hate myself." He admitted, feeling miserable.

"Oi! None of that now. Come back home and we'll talk about this calmly." After some initial resistance, Harry allowed Sirius to lead him back to the house.

Once they were inside, Sirius reopened the topic. "First of all, why did you run?" He asked. "I was shocked. Dad, Voldemort is more evil than evil itself. My relatives were right about me. I'm a total freak. Don't deny it. No one else has a portion of the most evil wizard in the world living inside them." Harry hunched his shoulders dejectedly, feeling pathetic.

He felt Sirius' fingers under his chin, titling his head upwards. "You're not a freak. Hush now; just listen quietly. What Voldemort did is not your fault. You had no control over it. Harry, you were just a baby back then; there was no way you could have stopped him. As for your muggle relatives, forget about them. You are most certainly not a freak. Do you understand me?" Sirius stated firmly.

Harry remained silent. A large part of him wanted to believe Sirius, but how could he? Voldemort existed inside him. "Pup, I know you well enough to confidently say that you haven't done one bad thing all your life. That's because it's not you. You couldn't be a bad person even if you tried. That's proof that inspite of him being inside you, your personality is incredibly kind and gentle. Are you listening?"

Harry nodded. "Then listen to this. Whenever there's been a problem; we've always managed to find a solution. This time, it's no different. We'll find a way out of this. Together. Okay?" Said Sirius. "You promise?" Harry asked, hating that he sounded so small. "I promise." The man replied.

Harry leaned into Sirius for a hug and the man immediately complied. "Regulus came up with an idea this morning. There's a good chance that this may work." Sirius didn't make any concrete promises but at the same time, he tried to reassure his son as best he could.

"He'd once consulted the goblins to help him with something. It was a somewhat similar case. He too wanted to get rid of a certain dark artefact. They were successfully able to remove it."

"So you think the goblins can help me too?" Harry asked, a hopeful expression replacing his sadness just a little. "Most probably. We can go and meet them tomorrow." Sirius suggested. "They helped Regulus with something that was nearly as dark. So, I think they can help us too."

"I want him out as soon as possible." Harry stated. He looked at his father with an apologetic as well as grateful. "I'm sorry, Dad." He really felt utterly horrible for all that the man had to go through because of him. "Stop that, Harry." Sirius told him sternly. "What do I need to do to convince you that you aren't alone in this? Hmm? How am I supposed to get it through your thick skull that we're in this together?" He asked in a lighter tone, playfully knocking Harry's head with his knuckles.

"We'll figure this out together, I swear." Sirius said those words with such conviction that in that moment, Harry believed him.

* * *

Although Harry had come to Gringotts twice, the piercing stares from the goblins always unnerved him. Beady black eyes seemed to burn holes into him as though they were pulling out his deepest secrets.

They approached the high desk where the goblin in charge was sitting, busily shuffling through some documents. Harry observed that it was a different goblin. Not the one who'd been there during his last visit. "Good afternoon, Karkras." Sirius greeted. The goblin— Karkras looked up and there was a flash of recognition in those black eyes. "Ah. _Haahkhec,_ Lord Black." The creature got off its pedestal and gave Sirius a deep bow.

Harry was surprised at this. From what he'd seen so far, he had gathered that goblins were a very proud species. And yet, one of them had just bowed to Sirius. " _Dar rhec o magaan_?" He asked. " _Tulkaakhec alkuugac, A arogaan o._ " Sirius replied. Harry didn't understand a word of their conversation. "Hmm, I see."

"Would you be so kind as to lead us to Arnok?" Sirius asked and Harry was grateful. A language that he understood. " _Or shogaan, duul'dahl ghaan."_ The two of them followed Karkras down the corridor and three flights of stairs. There weren't any other goblins present over there. It was clearly one of the less frequented places in Gringotts.

Karkras knocked on the only door on the entire floor. A hoarse voice called out from inside and they entered. Harry looked around with awe as he took in the surroundings. The place was massive. It was well furnished; the walls were decorated with tapestries that depicted different witches, wizards and goblins. A chandelier hung from the ceiling and the corners lit with fire torches. Ancient looking parchments had been meticulously stacked in one corner. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw that a section of one of the walls was filled with books arranged chronologically: Wizarding history.

An old goblin sat in the middle of the huge hall. When he looked up, Harry noticed that although the goblin was pale with rather wrinkled skin, the eyes were sharp and alert. That was Arnok, the head goblin who looked quite spooky.

But, then his face broke into a small smile. "Please, sit. Lord Black, to what do we owe this pleasure?" They sat down, went about the necessary pleasantries after which Sirius got to the point. "Arnok, what I'm about to disclose is a delicate matter."

"Of course. Whatever it is, I can assure you that it will not leave these walls." The goblin promised. Sirius then proceeded to explain to the goblin the reason behind their visit. The man observed that Arnok's smile faded as he listened to him.

"This is truly unsettling. Never have I ever heard of such an occurrence. As we all know, you-know-who was the most evil monster this world had ever seen. The mere though that such a cruel creature resides inside an innocent child is most disturbing." Sirius saw Harry tense up and reached out to give the boy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I know as much, Arnok. We're looking for a solution. We were wondering if you could help us out." Sirius said, hoping for something positive.

"Lord Black, as you know, a horcrux is one of the darkest creations on this planet. It is the product of the most heinous crime one can commit: cold-blooded murder. It is always hidden inside an ordinary object or in this case, a child. In order to render that object harmless, it is imperative to destroy it beyond magical repair." The goblin told them. "Yes, I'm aware of that. But, isn't there some way by which we can destroy just the horcrux? There has to be a way, right?"

Arnok remained silent for several moments. He then said something to Karkras and the latter left the room, closing the door. "Lord Black, what I'm about to disclose is an extremely secretive matter. No wizard, I repeat, no wizard knows about it. The goblins have worked hard to ensure that this secret was never revealed. We have guarded this secret with our lives for centuries. The only reason I shall tell you about it is because over the years, you are one of the few wizards to have earned our trust. So, I implore you to keep that faith intact."

Sirius nodded solemnly. "You have my word, Arnok." He promised.

"Very well then. As you know, several hundred years ago, Hogwarts was founded by the four greatest wizards of all time. Initially, there was nothing but absolute harmony amongst the four of them. But, that soon gave way to discord. Lord Black, what most people are aware of is that Salazar Slytherin, one of the mighty four was against the thought of letting people of non-magic origin enter the walls of Hogwarts. The other three believed that everyone deserved a chance. What no one knows is that the founders of Hogwarts had each forged a weapon to defend themselves from any evil that threatened the peace and integrity that they had established."

Sirius listened to all this, paying rapt attention. "Those weapons were powerful enough to destroy any dark object in existence. After the four founders died, the weapons were lost. No one knew where they were or if they had been stolen. A few decades after their death, one of my ancestors recovered all four of them. He brought them to Gringotts and they've been here ever since. Until recently of course, when you and Mr. Potter summoned one of the four weapons unintentionally."

There was a flash of realisation in Sirius' eyes. "That's right, Lord Black. The sword of Godric Gryffindor is one of the four weapons. It's been restored now." Arnok said. "So these weapons can help me?" Harry asked timidly. He was still hesitant to speak freely before the goblin. Those eyes still unnerved him. "Yes, child."

"So how will those weapons work in removing the Horcrux?" Sirius asked. "The weapons are immensely powerful. There's a procedure that we may carry through, provided that you consent to it. Mr. Potter is under your care after all. We shall use the magic of the four weapons. The magic shall penetrate the boy's body and purge him of the darkness that exists within. But, I don't think you will agree, Lord Black."

"Why won't I agree?" Sirius appeared a little confused. "If this process can help Harry, why in the world wouldn't I agree?" The goblin pursed his lips. "Everything comes at a price. The question here is, are you willing to pay that price? In order to be able to remove the horcrux from Mr. Potter, he shall have to undergo this procedure. This process will cause immense pain to the child. When it is being conducted, Mr. Potter will find himself in excruciating pain. Once it is completed, the aftermath will also be less than pleasant. His whole body will ache for days together. The pain shall give way to weakness, rendering him unable to perform even the simplest of tasks."

Sirius swallowed thickly as he took in the goblin's words. This changed everything. When Arnok had spoken about the procedure, Sirius had thought that they'd finally found a solution. But this was bad. How could he let Harry go through such torture? He knew that if he wanted to help Harry get rid of the horcrux, this was the only way. But how was a father supposed to sit back and watch as his only child was in complete agony?

"I want to do it." Sirius was jolted out of his thoughts at Harry's words. They were spoken with a scared but firm stance. "Harry? You just heard wh—"

"I know, Dad. But I can't let myself live with the knowledge that Voldemort continues to live inside me. Please Dad, I need to do this." Harry said and the desperation in those green eyes spoke volumes. Sirius was torn. He'd promised himself to always do what was best for Harry. What was he supposed to do now? Let his son go through excruciating pain or let him live with an evil soul residing inside him?

With a sinking feeling, he realized that this was the only way. With a heavy heart, he said his next words. "I give my consent."

Arnok nodded simply. "Very well, Lord Black. I shall go and make the necessary arrangements." The goblin left the huge room; leaving Harry and Sirius alone. Sirius gently tugged Harry out of his seat and into his arms. "I'm scared." The boy whispered and Sirius felt his heart break at the soft admission. "I'd call you a fool if you weren't. I'm going to be there with you at every step. Whatever may be the case. We'll get out of this together, like always. You'll be alright little one."

When Harry didn't object to the nickname, that's when Sirius realised just how afraid his pup was. He made no move to release Harry and even the boy didn't protest. They both needed this.

"I'll be okay, right?" Harry asked, desperately seeking reassurance. Sirius lifted one hand and carded it through Harry's hair. "You'll be absolutely spiffing." He promised in the most soothing voice he could muster.

"Once all this is over, we can go to that lake again. I told you we'd got here often, right?" He felt Harry nod into the crook of his neck. He slowly released him. They sat quietly, waiting for Arnok to return. Nearly an hour later, the head goblin returned, accompanied by four more.

"Lord Black, we're ready to begin."


	31. Chapter 30: The Price for Freedom

Sirius and Harry followed the goblins out of the ornate office and down the flights of stairs. They reached the carts that led to the thousands of vaults. They got into the carts but instead of going the usual way, the cart moved in the opposite direction. Sirius observed that this section was darker and colder than the rest of the bank. It was nearly impossible to make out anything in the darkness.

The cart rattled along the creaky rails and they went zooming downward. He felt Harry shaking against him; from the cold or fear of what was about to happen– he wasn't sure. The carts came to an abrupt halt in front of a massive oak door. It was a double door with a huge wrought iron handle in the centre. They jumped out and followed Arnok.

The goblin placed one gnarled hand on the door and murmured something. There was a grating sound as the doors opened. The interiors did nothing to calm him down. The place was as large as the office they had previously exited. It didn't have any decorations or anything. The entire place was constructed from stone, lit with fire torches. In the centre, a huge circle had been made from some powder like substance on which the legendary weapons had been arranged. He shivered involuntarily and he felt his father's arm pull him closer and was thankful for it.

"We are ready to begin any minute now. Lord Black, you will have to let go of Mr. Potter."

Harry was terrified of the pain that was about to come. At that moment, it didn't matter that he was a Gryffindor. He was afraid. Plain and simple. He threw himself against Sirius, locking his arms around the man's waist in a death grip. "Please don't go." He wanted to do this but that didn't change the fact that he was scared.

"Sshh. I'm right here. I'll be watching the whole time. I'm not leaving you, kiddo." Harry nodded against him and pulled away. He needed to be strong for this. His father kissed his forehead and offered him a warm smile. "I love you, pup. Never forget that."

"Love you too." Harry whispered before turning to the goblins. He knew that if he protested, Sirius would take him home. But, he had to do this. "I'm ready." He told them, hoping that his voice sounded steady enough. He stepped into the circle as indicated and stood in the centre, trying to stop his knees from shaking badly. He got a good look at the weapons now. One of them was the sword of Gryffindor; the second one was a jewel-encrusted dagger. There was a sabre and lastly, a spear.

"Mr. Potter, please lie down." He took one last look at Sirius who nodded reassuringly and got down on the floor. _It'll be fine._ He told himself. There was absolute silence for two minutes. Then, the chanting began. Initially, he felt nothing other than a mild prickling sensation all over his body. The pain began. At first, it was a moderate sting but soon escalated. Raw pain shot through every part of him. His scar was burning; his arms were already starting to feel sore and his chest felt trapped.

Suddenly, it felt like a knife embedded itself in his chest. At least that's what it felt like. A heart-wrenching scream ripped through his throat. He couldn't take it; it hurt. Then, two knives were driven into both his shoulders, at once. Another into his stomach; his legs, arms and finally; his scar. A burning stripe was laid across his chest: a whip. And so the torture continued. The small rational part of his mind was able to process the knowledge that it wasn't really the knives. It was the pain that Arnok had spoken about.

Harry screamed, sobbed and writhed in pure agony. He twisted in every possible way, begging for the pain to stop. The invisible knives and whips didn't let up for even a second. It hurt so much. He didn't know if he'd make it. Tears had blurred his vision and by now, all he could make out was the dim glow of the candles that hung from the ceiling. He heard voices– people's pain and suffering at the hands of Voldemort. He heard them begging for mercy and Voldemort's corresponding cruelty towards them. Their screams, sorrow and the heartache in their voice: Harry heard it all.

 _"No, not my sister! Please let her go!"_

 _"She's of no use anymore. Avada Kedavra!"_

 _"I swear I d-don't know anything. Please, have m-mercy!"_

 _"You lie, Mudblood! Crucio!"_

 _"Master, I don't know w-where they a-are. N-Not yet."_

 _"And once again, you've failed me Wormtail. Crucio!"_

 _"P-Please, spare h-him. He's just a b-baby. Take me i-instead."_

 _"Step aside silly girl!"_

His hand shot up to cover his scar when it was too much to bear. The chanting had risen and the mixture of physical agony coupled with the mental anguish and distress of innocent souls was getting out of control. When he thought that he was actually going to die, the pain began to recede. The assault by the imaginary whips and knives finally stopped. The chanting slowed down and came to a halt. He didn't even try to sit up because it hurt too much.

Every part of him was aching. His breaths came out in short pants and the flow of tears never stopped. He was sure that he looked like a bloody mess, sobbing on the floor with a runny nose but he was too tired to care. He was relieved that the horcrux was finally gone but the pain was driving him crazy. He was finally free of the horcrux but he had paid a high price for that freedom.

Seconds later, he felt a pair of arms lift him up and he didn't have to look to know who it was. Harry gave into the exhaustion and rested his head on Sirius' shoulder. He heard his father saying something but was too disoriented to make out the words. To his utter mortification; he just couldn't stop crying. It hurt too much.

"Dad?" It came out as a sort of desperate whimper. Once again, Sirius said something that he wasn't able to grasp. A minute later, he found himself falling asleep and welcomed the temporary solace that the darkness brought from the pain.

Sirius mumbled a sleeping charm and watched as Harry slipped into unconsciousness. He cradled his pup closer and shut his eyes for a moment. It had been so difficult to watch as his son went through that seemingly endless torment. He could count on one hand the number of times he had felt truly helpless. Today had been one such time. It had taken every bit of self-restraint to not rush past the circle and pull Harry away.

"It may take a while, Lord Black, but the boy will definitely heal. The pain will subside within a few days, as will the weakness." Arnok assured him. Sirius wanted to snap and tell him that a few days of pain wasn't something to be taken lightly. But, he simply nodded and walked out of the room after a quick 'thank you.'

He apparated home and went straight to Harry's room. He gently set the pup down on the bed. He heard footsteps and knew that it was Regulus. "What happened?" He asked, looking worried. Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The goblins helped, but the aftermath almost makes me wish they hadn't." Sirius replied as he stared at his son.

He gave his brother a quick run through of the day's events and watched as Regulus' face morphed into a concerned expression. He knew that even his little brother had developed a soft spot for Harry. It was just impossible to not like him.

"He'll be awake in two hours or so." He said, settling himself against the headboard. "Alright. I'll be around. Just call if you need me." Regulus said and walked out after casting one more look of concern at Harry.

* * *

Harry's eyes fluttered open to the familiar ceiling of his room. It was over. The horcrux was really gone. The unbearable pain was no longer there; instead it was a dull but steady ache all over his person. He tried to sit up and immediately winced. He'd greatly underestimated the extent of the pain that shot through him. He remembered the voices he had heard. The last one had definitely been his mother. He was certain of it. All too soon, the tears returned. Harshly, he shoved them down. He'd done enough crying for the day. He groaned as his body ached all over. "Take it easy, pup. Arnok said it's going to take a while."

Harry felt relieved when he saw his father. He was safe. Sirius helped Harry into a sitting position, trying his best to not jostle the boy. He must've noticed the miserable expression on Harry's face and tried to cheer him up. They talked a little, and Sirius managed to get him to crack a genuine smile or two. His mind was diverted from the voices that he'd encountered. They ate lunch after that although his dad had to feed him most of his. It was so embarrassing to be unable to even eat one's own lunch.

"This is quite a change you know," Sirius commented casually. "A few years ago, there was more food on you than in you, pup. Heck you even managed to get some of that baby food on me as well. You were quite the little troublemaker, even as a baby. You had this habit of throwing food at whoever fed you." His father told him, chuckling at the memory.

Harry smiled softly, feeling slightly better already. When Sirius turned his head, with a mischievous grin, Harry picked up a small piece of carrot and flung it at his father, catching him squarely on his cheek. The man sharply turned back and glared at him with mock anger. "Why you rascal!" Said Sirius, giving Harry's ear a little tug.

Harry giggled slightly but immediately stopped because it hurt his torso. There was a knock on the door and a moment later, Regulus came inside. "Hey mate. How are you doing?" The younger Black asked, tousling Harry's hair. "I've been better." Harry replied grumpily. "You'll be alright in no time, kiddo. With my overprotective big brother hovering over you like a mother hen, you will be back to normal sooner than you think." Said Regulus but yelped when Sirius smacked him lightly on the back of his head.

"Ouch! Bloody hell! Don't look at me like that. You are an absolute mother hen. Don't even try to deny it. First me and now young Harry has to face the same fate." Regulus insisted, rubbing his head. "Harry agrees with me, don't you?"

Harry first looked at his dad and then at Regulus. "Oh he definitely is. Worse than Madam Pomfrey." He said with a grin. Sirius gave him a betrayed look at that. "You wait. Just you wait. I may not be able to tickle you right now, but once you're better, I'll make certain that Padfoot teaches you a lesson." Sirius threatened playfully.

Harry grinned and shielded his ribs protectively. "Now be a good lad and rest for a while. You'll need to take a few potions after some time."

* * *

The next few days passed in a similar manner. He needed his father's help for almost everything. Initially he had felt greatly embarrassed but he'd managed to get over it. When Sirius had no qualms about helping him, then he had no reason to feel bad. He still felt excessively tired when he tried to do too much on his own.

For the past couple of days, after the removal of the horcrux; one particular thought had been constantly bugging him. The pain he had felt that day; he'd honestly thought he would die. After the horrible pain had subsided; the thought had occurred to him. What if he'd died that day? That's when he had realised that he wasn't ready to die. He was afraid. After years of hoping and wishing, he finally had someone who loved him. Harry wasn't ready to give that up. Not now, not ever. Another cause for his sadness was his mum. He'd silently wallowed in his room, remembering his mother's pleas.

"Do you plan to burn a hole into your blanket? Because if that's the case, tell me now." Harry saw Sirius standing against the door and wondered how long the man had been there. A smile made its way to his lips. It was just not possible to remain glum when you had a father like Sirius Black. "I came up here to say goodnight and saw you trying to torture your poor comforter." His father grinned and settled down next to him. "The blanket tried to strangle my legs. It's only fair if I get even."

"True. Now, will you tell me what's bothering you?" Sirius asked, looping his arm around Harry's shoulders. He looked at his dad disbelievingly. How in the world was Sirius able to read him so well? As if reading his mind, the man replied: "Pup, you're an open book. It's easy to tell when you're upset, angry, sad or bothered. You get all quiet and broody, play with your food and stare into space. The other day, when I offered to help you downstairs, you preferred to stay up here. That is so unlike you. It's easy to tell. So, what's wrong?"

The gentle tone made him want to unburden everything. "It hurts." He sniffled. "Where does it hurt, little one?" On any other day, Harry would've objected to that particular endearment; but at that point, he found it oddly comforting. "Everywhere."

"I'm right here, pup." That was all that was needed. Harry threw his arms around his father's neck and held on tightly, unable to contain himself any longer. Throughout his brief torture session, he had wanted nothing more than to run to his dad but he hadn't been able to. He didn't care about the mild pain that flared in his limbs because of this action. He'd tried his best to not let the pain show during the extraction but was sure that he had failed. He felt himself being lifted into the man's lap and didn't object. "It's alright, puppy. Just let it out, I've got you now."

Harry didn't need anymore reassurance than that. He gripped his father and told him all that he had heard when the horcrux was being removed. He told Sirius about the innumerable people who had been tortured and killed by Voldemort, he spoke of Pettigrew's punishment at the hands of the Dark Lord and his voice broke when he talked about how he had heard Lily Potter beg Voldemort to spare his life. Sobs wracked his form as he spoke about it. He felt Sirius hug him tighter and whisper soothingly into his ear. "It hurts." He finally whispered brokenly, his head firmly tucked in the crook of Sirius' neck. "It isn't fair."

"I know, puppy. It's not fair at all. It is what it is." Sirius replied sadly, running his fingers through Harry's hair. He felt his heart shatter when Harry had mentioned Lily's last moments. She had been the sister he never had.

"I thought I would die." Harry whispered. "When they were taking out the horcrux, I honestly thought that the pain would kill me." He elaborated quietly. "Oh kiddo." He felt his father's hand rubbing his back and relaxed. "I know it's a stupid thought and that I wouldn't have died, but at that point, I was afraid."

"It isn't stupid in the least. Grown witches and wizards would have quaked with fear at the mere mention of this extraction. You handled it very well, pup and I'm incredibly proud of you." Said Sirius and Harry felt warm. "I'm sorry you had to go through all this. But, I'm also relieved that he's out of you. You didn't let him get to you. You're stronger than you think, Harry. It's alright to be afraid."

"I don't want to lose you. I was afraid that I'd die and never see you again."

Harry's quiet admission caught Sirius off guard. He wrapped his arms more securely around his son's form, holding him tightly. "You're not going to lose me, pup." He fiercely said. "Listen to me. Voldemort can't hurt you now. He's weaker than ever, his control over your mind is nearly gone and he is in no position to do any harm to anyone. You're safe, pup."

He pulled back and playfully tapped the child's nose with his finger. "Now you need to go to bed and stop worrying about all this. I'm not going anywhere." Feeling considerably reassured, Harry shifted position and rested his head in Sirius' lap. "Please stay." He mumbled softly, closing his eyes.

The man caught the other meaning of the words and ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "I'm not going anywhere, pup." He said once again. You're stuck with me."

* * *

"No... please, Dad, no more. I've learnt my lesson. Please... please stop." Harry giggled uncontrollably, trying in vain to escape but Padfoot was stronger. He lay on the carpet in the living room, trying to get away from his 'merciless torturer'. He tried to wriggle away as Padfoot's nose tormented his ribs.

He was giggling to the point where tears of laughter were sliding down his cheeks. "I'm sorry okay! You—Dad, not my sides—are not a mother hen. You're the coolest, most brilliant and—not the stomach!—wonderful dad on this planet."

Sirius transformed back and smirked at Harry, although there was a fond affection in his eyes. " You're not quite there yet but you're getting there." The man said before continuing his 'assault'. At that moment, Regulus came down the stairs grinning at the scene before him. "The day has just begun and you're already torturing the poor boy? Have you no mercy Sirius?" He asked with a grin as he helped himself to a cup of coffee.

"Regulus, help!" Harry looked at the other man, as best as he could. "Sorry, mate. No can do. I've been in your current position far too many times. You must overcome this situation by yourself. You're on your own, kiddo."

After some more (lot more) flattery, Sirius finally released Harry. It was great to see his pup back to normal. The past few days had been hard for both of them. He knew that he would do anything to keep that innocence and childlike happiness alive in Harry for as long as he could.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it! As for how the plot will continue, I have a couple of ideas in mind. Horcruxes, more father-son bonding and something else that I might work on. Like always, I'll try and update as soon as I can.**


	32. Chapter 31: A Second Chance

"This is bad, very bad." Regulus said as he stared at the scene before him. There were bodies strewn all over the place like broken dolls, some of the furniture was broken and the walls were cracked. Bloody and broken bodies lay around while others had been killed by the killing curse. Eleven bodies, eleven murders. Blood streaked the walls, there were pools of blood on the floor and the entire bar was filled with the smell of death.

"And we have no leads whatsoever?" His brother asked one of the newer Aurors. The man was young, in his early to mid-twenties. It was his first week out of Auror training. Although he was burly and strong-faced, he appeared rather unnerved by the sight before him. All the training in the academy wasn't enough to prepare you for what lay in wait in the real world, unless you were born and raised a Black. In that case, it was a completely different scenario.

"No, sir. Nothing other than this. We took it down before word spread and the locals panicked." He held up a picture and Sirius took it from him and his brows pulled together into a frown as he stared at it. "What is it?" Regulus asked. His brother held out the picture and Regulus almost dropped it when he saw it: someone had cast the Dark mark.

"The Dark Mark clears things up a bit. This is obviously a death eater's job. Probably more than one. Judging by the state if this place, the people who did this were angry. Whatever may be the reason, they were angry. What better way to vent than to slaughter innocent people?" There was a bitter undertone in Sirius' voice. The man sighed and ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

"Kingsley, get the bodies to the morgue and tell Davies to examine them. He'll have to track the spells and the wand that performed them. That should narrow it down. Also, make sure that the news reporters don't contaminate the crime scene. The last thing I need is that Skeeter woman scouring the place." He told the new Auror. "Yes, sir." Kingsley and two others began to round up the bodies while Sirius analysed the place.

This was an angry, reckless and impulsive killing. The murderer hadn't thought about the consequences that would follow. He/ she/they had been blinded by rage and had acted rashly. "I talked to the owner as well. She was sorely shaken and afraid. She had to leave early so she asked the bartender to close the place when it was closing time. She came here today morning and found the entire place thrashed. The poor lady panicked and fire called the aurors. That's all we have so far." Said Regulus.

"We should be able to find out more once Davies is done with examining the bodies. What I want to know is what angered the person so much that he and to murder a bar full of people in order to pacify himself?" Sirius was far more disturbed than he was letting on. If this was a death eater attack, it definitely called for immediate action. His concern was Harry. "We're going to find the bastard who did this and we'll make sure that no one even thinks of trying something like this again."

A couple of hours later, the wand expert, Davies, had finished his analysis. "It's nothing new, actually. A few cruciatus, some hexes and the killing curse." He told the Aurors. "Anything else?" Sirius enquired. "Yes. It was a one-man job. All the curses were fired from a single wand." Sirius raised an eyebrow, silently asking the obvious question. "Ten and a half inches, unicorn core and birch wood."

Well, the rest of the job was simple. "I'll just write a letter to Garrick, asking him about the wand's owner. That old genius remembers every single wand he's ever sold." Said Sirius. And so that was done.

The auror's seal was enough to inform Ollivander that it was an official request. The old wandmaker's reply came in quickly with just two words in the letter. "Well, who is it?" Regulus asked impatiently when he saw Sirius glaring at the letter.

"Walden Macnair."

Regulus frowned, trying to recollect the details about that name. He had definitely heard it when he'd been a death eater. He remembered Macnair. That bastard had always been grovelling before the Dark Lord, vying for his approval. He had been fiercely loyal, obeying every command unquestioningly. "He was a part of the inner circle."

"I know, Reg. Malfoy spoke about him the other day. He's on our list as well. We've been hunting down so many of them, his turn was also coming. Apparently, he just wants to get caught. Track him down. Once he's in custody, we can get back to locating the others. This one's out to cause trouble. Alert me when you've found his location."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

After three days of extensive searching, they were able to locate him. All the Aurors, including Sirius and Regulus had tracked every small lead or clue to get to him.

Although Macnair had rashly murdered all those people, he must've come to his senses later. He had tried his best to keep a low profile. He never seemed to stay at any place for too long and was always gone before the aurors could get to him. All his previous locations were in and around the city which only meant one thing: he still had something to do in here. That was why he hadn't fled the country.

Of all the possible places where he could be, Sirius hadn't expected him to go there. It was the one place that was under constant observation. Either he didn't know, or he didn't care. "He's not getting away this time." As he ordered the others to get ready, one question was ringing in his mind:

 _What in the world was Macnair doing at Malfoy Manor?_

* * *

Draco rubbed his eyes and sighed. He hadn't managed to get any sleep at all last night. As usual, his sleep was disturbed and filled with nightmares about the same man. His father just wouldn't leave him alone. He got out of bed and into the bathroom.

Other than the nightmares, his life had sort of improved. He didn't have to spend every moment of his time, trying to seek approval from an undeserving person. He stripped down and got into the tub that had already been filled. He ran his finger down his side where a thin, long white scar marred the pale flesh. Sometimes, if he closed his eyes, he was able to recall the sting from his father's wicked cane. It was the first and last time his father had ever physically 'disciplined' him.

After that day, all punishments were in the form of confinement. He was so relieved to have his father gone. He'd been a fool to not realise the man's evil nature all these years. That's all he ever had been. _You're a fool, Draco Malfoy._

With great effort, he forced down the tears that had inadvertently welled up. Crying makes you weak. He closed his eyes till that burning sensation of tears receded. He got dressed and went downstairs, where his mother was sitting at the table, eating breakfast. She smiled when she saw him, although the bags under her eyes made her appear older. "Good morning, Draco. Did you sleep well?" She asked. "Yes, mother." He lied. He didn't need to burden her with his problems. He could deal with them on his own.

Halfway through breakfast, there was an incessant knocking on the front door. "Who on earth is that? Nipsy, get the door. Whoever it is, send them away." Narcissa ordered, too tired to go and receive whoever it was. She was soon jolted out of her state of mind when she heard a crash. She got up and went out, Draco in tow.

Who was it?

Her eyes widened when she saw the man. "Macnair?" The death eater grinned, revealing a row of uneven, yellow teeth. "Morning, Mrs. Malfoy. Yer' house elf said yeh' didn't want tah' see anybody? Won't you welcome an ol' friend?" He smirked at her and she tried to bite down the disgusted sniff that she wore like a second skin. "What are you doing here?" She demanded, keeping her voice even.

"Me? I came tah' visit. Oh and look, that's yer' son I suppose?" She felt an uneasy feeling well up inside her. What did he really want? She glanced sideways at her wand that was lying on the dining table, out of reach. "Yeh' look just like yer' father, boy. Is it jus' the look or are yeh' also a cowardly bastard like him?"

"How dare you!" Narcissa snapped, moving to her wand but it flew into Macnair's waiting hands. "I'm actually here for some unfinished business."

"Nips—"

"Yer' house elf's no good now. Yer' on your own." He spat, his lips curling to form a rather malignant grin. Ignoring her uneasiness, Narcissa drew herself up and stormed to him. "You come in here, attack my house elf and have the audacity to insult my son? Get out." Her hand came down sharply across his face, eliciting a growl from the death eater.

"You little bitch!" He snarled and backhanded her viciously, causing her to fall to the ground. "Get away from my mother!" Draco came to his senses, shaking with barely suppressed rage. He lunged at the man, not caring that the bloke was twice his size and armed with a wand.

As expected, Macnair caught him with one hand and stunned his mother with his wand arm. "Yeh' Malfoys, bloody proud lot you are. Yer' father was a coward. He betrayed the Dark Lord. He's rotting in Azkaban now, ain't he? Look at yeh, same arrogance and cowardice."

"I'm nothing like my father." Draco clenched his teeth and tried to wrench himself free from the grip that Macnair had on his hair. "Oh but yeh' are, boy. Yer' father was a greedy sonuvabitch and betrayed the Dark Lord. And now, yer' going to pay for it."

The relief that he felt when Macnair unhanded him was short lived. A solid blow to the face that threw him to the ground was followed by a swift kick to his stomach. Pain flared up instantly and he cried out. "That's it boy. Yer' weak n' useless."

"I'll kill yer' mother today, but you're coming with me. Yeh' don't deserve a painless death. Loyalty to the Dark Lord is why we exist. Yer' father thought he was above that, didn't he? You Malfoys. I can't get my hands on him now but I'll have my revenge on yeh' instead. I'll break that pride of yours and then I'll break yeh'. But first, let's tend to Mummy dearest."

Draco watched in horror as the deranged man advanced towards his mother's unconscious form. "Before I kill her, I think she deserves to suffer. A few cruciatus curses should do the trick."

Draco didn't know what happened but one minute he was on the floor, in pain and the next minute, his hand shot out. He felt pure, raw magic flow through his veins. Whether it was the adrenaline or fear of what would become of his mother, he didn't know. A powerful force threw Macnair against the wall and he hit his back with a grunt. "Yeh' little shit! You'll regret that, boy." He pointed his wand straight at Draco's face.

"Cru—"

"Expelliarmus!" The wand flew out of his hand and into the hand of one furious Sirius Black. "What do we have here? We were turning the city down, searching for you and here you are, attacking a child. How valiant." The edge in Sirius' voice was unmistakable. The look in his steely grey eyes was deadly enough to rival the basilisk. Macnair was a goner.

There was a flash of fear across the death eater's face but he quickly masked it with a sneer. "Black. Should've known that you'd be trying to interfere in something that ain't yer' problem." He then turned to Regulus, anger evident on his face. "What's the matter Reggie? Serving the Dark Lord wasn't good enough for yeh? So, yeh went running back to big brother." Regulus clenched his fists, reining his temper.

"My, my. You really do have a lot to say, don't you? Let's get back to the auror office. You and I are going to have a nice, long chat." Macnair's eyes widened. "I ain't going nowhere with yeh."

Obviously getting ready to apparate, he was stopped by Sirius' next words. "I wouldn't recommend apparition, Macnair. Not unless you wish to severely splinch yourself. No more running, Macnair. It's time to pay the piper. Now, if you want to avoid further trouble, do yourself a favour and get down on the ground."

When Macnair didn't cooperate, one of the Aurors forced him to the ground and slapped a pair of handcuffs onto his wrist. "Honestly Macnair, the scene at the bar was utterly shoddy. And casting the dark mark? It's impossible to get dumber than that. Not the kind of job one would expect from someone who was a part of Voldemort's inner circle. But then again, you didn't think, did you? Your actions were purely driven by rage, weren't they?"

Macnair didn't answer. "Stubborn one aren't you? We'll get back to this later." Sirius turned to Kingsley. "Take him back and make sure he's _comfortable_. I'll be there soon." He ordered. Kingsley and the other auror grabbed an arm each and hoisted Macnair off the floor and then they were gone.

Sirius turned his attention to the boy huddled on the floor. He hadn't missed that burst of accidental magic. After the rush of adrenaline had receded, the fear had taken over. He looked shaken, afraid and upset. Nothing like the arrogant brat he had encountered when he'd taught at Hogwarts. Regulus moved to help him up. "It's alright now, come on." He said. "My moth—"

"Your mother is fine. She'll wake up soon." Draco looked at them warily before accepting Regulus' arm. There was a bruise on his cheek and the way he was clutching his side was an indication that he was injured. Sirius elevated Narcissa onto the sofa and turned back to Draco. "What happened in here?" He asked, keeping his voice calm. The boy looked at the two men as though contemplating whether or not to trust them. "We were eating breakfast when this deranged bloke barged in and started talking about some unfinished business." Sirius raised an eyebrow, asking the boy to continue and so, he gave them all the details. "... and then you'll arrived."

Narcissa awoke at that moment. She immediately shot up but relaxed when she saw that Draco was still there. Only then did she notice the two brothers. "Where's Macnair?"

"In custody, waiting. You two are safe now." Said Sirius. "Draco just gave us a gist of whatever had happened. We got here the moment we found his location. I didn't expect him to come here. What did he want with you?" Sirius inquired. "Revenge. He didn't take too well to Lucius telling you everything." Narcissa replied.

"We need to talk, cousin. But first let's tend to those bruises and then we can continue." Said Regulus. They had to discuss that blast of magic by Draco. Had any other person been in Draco's place, they could have passed it off as nothing more than an accidental burst. But, Draco was the son of a Black. This meant that he and inherited the family magic.  
"Talk about what? I can promise you that we didn't know he was here. I hav—"

"Relax, Narcissa. No one is accusing you. We just need to discuss something. It has nothing to do with Macnair." Baffled, Narcissa waited it out. Once the injuries had been attended to, Sirius began. "It seems your son has inherited the Black family magic. I was just in time to see him throw Macnair against the wall."

The woman's eyes widened. "But how? Sirius, that isn't possible. I didn't get it. So there's no way that Draco could have inherited it." Sirius shook his head in reply. "It doesn't work that way, Narcissa. In our family, Arcturus inherited it but my father didn't. But, inspite of that, Regulus and I received it. Now Draco may carry the Malfoy name but the blood that runs through his veins is that of a Black as well. He just inherited it as well. That's that."

"What happens to me now?" Draco asked. "Happens to you? Nothing at all. If you're wondering whether you're in trouble for doing magic outside Hogwarts, don't worry about it. You did it to save your mother and that's commendable."

Sirius looked like he wanted to say more but Narcissa stopped him. "Could the two of you please leave?" The question contained no snark, just exhaustion. "It's been a rough start. Thank you, both of you." She really did look tired. "Alright, we'll go. I'll put up some wards around the place before leaving. We wouldn't want another event like this again." Said Sirius. He decided that if his haughty cousin was being civil, the least he could do was return that civility.

The gratefulness in her expression was genuine when he mentioned the wards. Regulus turned to Draco before leaving. "If anything comes up, don't hesitate to fire call, Draco." He said. The boy nodded, surprise briefly crossing his features.

"What now?" Regulus asked, once they were out. "Now, we go and have a _nice, pleasant_ chat with a certain death eater."

* * *

Sirius took in Macnair's form that was handcuffed to the wall. There was a bruise on his jaw, a gash across his arm and a sneer on his face. The auror next to him was also sporting a cut on his cheek. He had clearly put up a fight. "Did he say anything?" Sirius asked the auror who had escorted Macnair to his cell. "No, sir. We tried but couldn't get anything out of him."

Well, that didn't matter anymore. Sirius now had the means to extract information. "Yer' lackeys couldn't get anything outta me. Whadya goin' ta do? Torture me? There's nothing yeh' can do that the Dark Lord hasn't already done."

"Is that what you think, Macnair? I'm here to torture you? Why would I waste my time doing that? That would cost both of us time." Sirius replied with a smirk. "I'll offer you two choices. You can tell me everything like your friend Malfoy or I can find out some other way."

"Malfoy was a coward. He ain't no friend. You'll have ta kill me before I betray the Dark Lord." Macnair spat. Sirius rolled his eyes like he'd expected it. He pulled out a syringe filled with veritaserum and jabbed it into the man's arm. "Don't worry, I got a permit for that."

Macnair's eyes became unfocused and Sirius could sense his internal struggle to fight off the potion. When a dazed look came over his face, Sirius knew that the potion had done its job.

"What's your name?"  
"Walden Macnair."

"Where were you last Monday night?"  
"At Taffer's Bar and grill."

"Were you responsible for the deaths of the people over there that night?"  
"Yes."

"Did you do it all alone?" "Yes."

"Why did you kill them?"  
"I was angry."

This confirmed his suspicions. He knew that Voldemort had kept his death eaters under close scrutiny. They knew better than to act rashly and displease their master. Something had happened to have caused Macnair to snap like that.

"What made you angry?"  
"Me and some others were tracking the Dark Lord. We know he ain't gone, no matter what people say. The mark draws us closer to his location and we thought we were getting closer. Then one day, we suddenly couldn't feel him no more. The mark didn't work."

"What about your teammates?"  
"They're hiding. I was pissed off, so one night, when I was at the bar, I attacked them folks who were there."

Sirius knew why Voldemort's location had suddenly disappeared. When they'd destroyed the horcrux in Harry, a part of Voldemort's soul had been destroyed, making him weaker than ever. Since the parts are connected, one piece destroyed affected the others as well. All the pieces were ultimately bound to Voldemort himself. Sirius knew better than to assume that he was gone for good. He was still out there but extremely weak. If Macnair had been searching for his master, it meant that he knew where Voldemort could be.

After asking a few more questions regarding his team, Voldemort's location and his recent activities, Sirius ended the interrogation. "I think that's all. We'll schedule a trial for you after which you can reunite with your death eater friends in Azkaban."

Sirius went back to his office, deciding to floo home. He stopped short when he saw someone standing outside his office. "Draco? What are you doing here?" Draco appeared nervous about something.

"I had to talk to you." Sirius raised a surprised eyebrow before gesturing towards his office. "Does your mother know you're here?" The boy hesitated before replying. "No, sir. She was asleep. But please, I need you to listen to me. It's important."

Once they were inside, he asked Draco his previous question. "Once you left, I went to the library and looked up this Black magic. I read that it's powerful but if you can't control it properly, it will consume you. It can kill you. Is that true?"

"To a certain extent, yes. Black family magic is stronger than the kind of magic performed by wands. That's what I wanted to tell Narcissa today but she was shaken up. You needn't worry about that though. What you did today wasn't too large a force." Said Sirius. "Is there anything else?"

Draco bit his lip. Now for the hard part. He had thought about it all day and arrived at a conclusion. "I want to learn this magic, sir. I was wondering if you would teach me how to control it." There was a good chance that the man would turn him down but he wasn't going to stop trying. The things that he had read in those books were frightening. He wanted to be able to know how to control it. He would get down on his knees and plead if that's what it took to convince the man to teach him. That's right. Draco Malfoy was putting his ego aside.

"Teach you? Draco, this magic is powerful but in the wrong hands, it can be deadly." Said Sirius. "I've taught at Hogwarts for a year and I've seen you. I'm not going to say anything but I think you know what I mean." He continued. Draco felt an odd sense of shame at the man's words. He knew that the Auror had watched him bully students incessantly, flaunt his wealth overtly and just throw his weight around.

All his life, he had tried to life up to his father's expectations but that hadn't ended so well. His father was in prison but the effects of his upbringing were all too evident. The list of people who liked him for who he was as a person was indeed very short. After Lucius had gone to Azkaban, he had genuinely wondered what it would've been like if he had been raised by a _normal_ person.

He and actually tried to be nice for once in his life. He had started to treat the house elf better than he previously had. It wasn't much but it was a start. He'd also tried to give up his staunch belief in blood supremacy. It was harder than he had thought. He still hadn't succeeded in forgoing those teachings but he was making an effort.

"I'm trying. I know you don't believe me, sir but I need you to give me a chance. Please. I swear, I'm trying to forget what he taught me. It's hard alright? I'm not a saint like Potter. I can't always do the right thing and I know that you probably hate me but you have to teach me this magic."

Sirius looked at the boy in front of him. The pride was still there in his eyes but there was also something genuine. Draco really was trying to change his ways despite the saying 'old habits die hard'. He was willing to bet that it would take a few months to completely get rid of every bad thing that Lucius had drilled into his son's head. He made his decision.

"I don't hate you, Draco. Fine, I'll teach you how to control and use it. But, I have certain conditions." He added. Draco nodded eagerly. "Anything."

"First of all, you will give up your prejudices although it is difficult. Secondly, you will not let your ego get in the way of learning. Lastly, I know very well that you and Harry don't like each other; but while you're at my house for these lessons, I expect you to be civil. I'll expect the same from Harry as well. Disregard any one of these terms and the lessons will end immediately. Are we clear?"

Draco had to admit that the conditions sounded pretty fair. He had expected something much more severe. "Yes, sir." He replied. Sirius observed him for a moment before his face softened into a small smile.

"Good, I'll hold you to that. If your mother is alright with it, you can come to Black Manor tomorrow at six in the morning."

Draco finally got what he deserved: a second chance.

* * *

 **For all those who have been waiting for Draco's redemption; it's coming your way. Now he's not going to transform overnight. It'll be a gradual procedure. Like quite a few other characters, Draco deserves a chance. Draco and Harry won't be thick as thieves immediately. They will have their ups and downs but I do plan on creating a lasting friendship between them. It will take time though. More light will be shed on Draco's abilities in the next chapter.**


	33. Chapter 32: To Start Afresh

The next morning, at six o' clock sharp, Draco flooed over to Black Manor. The early hour didn't bother him much since he was well accustomed to waking up early. His mother hadn't been too pleased when she had found out about him sneaking off like that. But, she'd relented and allowed him to learn the family magic.

Like many others, he was left awestruck at the beauty of the opulent mansion. Unlike Malfoy Manor, this place was well lit and gave off a positive vibe. It felt happy. _So this is where Potter lives._ Draco felt a stab of jealousy at the realisation that his nemesis lived in such luxury. And people thought he was the spoilt one. _Prince Potter_.

He banished the thought almost immediately it appeared. He had to be civil towards Potter if he wanted these lessons to progress. He would have to swallow his pride and do it. Also, Black was teaching him something that no one else could. The least he could do was show him some respect.

"Good morning, Draco." He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the man approaching him. "Good morning." He replied. "So there's a training room downstairs where we'll practice. If you have any questions, I'll answer those as well." Sirius continued.

They went down the stairs that led to the basement. Draco was excited as well as nervous. He was full of questions but at the same time, he was hesitant to voice them. According to him, trust was something that was extremely fragile. Even the slightest error was enough to permanently shatter a person's trust. He didn't trust anyone in this world other than his mother. He'd stopped trusting his father years ago. The only thing he had ever wanted from that man was his approval, something he never received.

Sirius was exceptionally good at reading expressions. He picked up on the boy's thought process within minutes. "Draco, if you want to ask me something, you need to go ahead with it. This won't work if your head is full of doubts. If it's any consolation, I'll answer honestly."

Draco was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "Why now?" On Sirius' questioning look, he elaborated. "Why did the magic within me stir now? Why not before?"

"Well, it differs according to every individual. In our family, some members started showing signs of magic at the age of three or even two while others weren't able to tap into the magic even after they have come of age. In your case, there is only one possible explanation. For some reason, you weren't able to summon that magic inside your body. One of the major reasons is that you weren't aware of the existence of such magic." Said Sirius.

Draco listened carefully and frowned. "You have a question." It was a statement. Draco was slightly taken aback by this. The man was obviously remarkable at reading people. "Other children had accidental bursts of magic when they were younger. I never had such incidents. Yesterday was the first time it happened." Draco admitted.

"Well, I admit that's strange. Between ages five to nine, children show occasional but minor bursts of magic. I'm surprised you never experienced it. Usually, accidental magic is a result of strong negative emotions like fear or anger. I'm guessing that you've always been very withdrawn when it come to emotions. Its either that or they were deliberately suppressed."

Sirius had a strong suspicion that Lucius might have had something to do with it. The man must've been worried that his son would get out of control so he must have tried to dull the magical capabilities of the boy. Whatever spell was cast, had been broken when Draco had been freed from his father's tyranny.

He noted Draco's surprised expression and inwardly sighed. The boy clearly had a lot to learn and he just wasn't referring to the magic. "So we'll be covering quite a bit in every session. Familial magic is stronger than other kinds of magic. You need to be strong enough to control it. It won't be easy and you will have to work hard. If you're up to it, only then shall we continue."

"Yes, sir."

"One more thing, this magic is powerful but deadly if misused. I need to be sure that you will not take advantage of this. You will not use your power to bully you classmates or for anything that isn't right. Are we clear? I have the power to teach you but if you make wrong use of this magic, I also have the power to take it away. Are we clear? "

"Yes, sir." Draco had no intention of breaking his word. Firstly because, he was starting to learn that Black was a fair man. He kept his promises and expected the same from others. Crossing him meant only trouble. Secondly, he wanted to start afresh without his father controlling his life. He wanted to prove that he wasn't like that man. A few days after his father had been arrested, a sinking realisation had washed over him: nobody liked him. He needed to free himself from his father's shadow.

"Great. Let us begin."

The first lesson was relatively easy. It was basically physical training. It was more of a warm up session. A few laps, push ups and a couple other exercises. He actually enjoyed himself. He's promised himself that he wouldn't whine or complain because he wasn't sure if the man would tolerate his usual tantrums.

By the end of the two hours, he was thoroughly exhausted but satisfied. "You did a great job today, Draco. Continue like this and you'll be well on your way to mastering this magic." Draco froze like he hadn't heard the man correctly. A compliment? Of all the things that he would have to endure, he hadn't expected the sessions to be so easy.

In fact, before he had arrived here, he'd expected the man to use every single opportunity to belittle him and taunt him. "I'm not joking, Draco. You did well today." He felt something odd inside him when he heard the words. The man was proud of him: His own father had never said one word of encouragement to him and here; the so-called blood traitor had shown him more kindness than his own father. Also, whenever he wasn't able to get something right, the man just asked him to try again whereas his father had been quick to point out what a failure he was.

"Thank you, sir." He replied, allowing himself to accept the praise. "Sirius." The man offered. "So we can continue with our next lesson same time tomorrow. We will begin with the simplest of spells. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Good. Now, there may be days when Regulus will train you instead. He'll also continue from where I've left off. Any questions?" When Draco shook his head, Sirius nodded. "Alright then. Class dismissed." He said with a grin.

They headed upstairs and Draco was just about to floo back home when Sirius stopped him. "Just a minute, Draco. I'll be right back."

* * *

Harry sat up and pushed the covers aside. He yawned widely and stretched himself. It was his stomach that had woken him up earlier than usual. He brushed his teeth and went downstairs, passing Regulus' room on the way. The younger Black obviously wasn't a morning person.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw who was in the living room. He'd completely forgotten about Malfoy coming over every morning. Definitely not the person he wanted to see right after waking up. The other boy saw him and Harry immediately prepared himself for a snide remark or some insult. But none came. Nothing at all, not even one harsh word.

 _Be civil_. He remembered the warning in dad's voice and wisely decided to pay heed to it. "Here you go, Draco. Just go through the first five pages and let me know if you have any questions. We'll need it for our next class, okay?"

"Yes, sir– Sirius." Draco amended. Harry was stunned. Since when has Draco Malfoy been respectful towards people? "Tomorrow, same time." Said Sirius after which Draco flooed home without another glance at Harry.

"Who was that?" Harry asked, the moment the floo was quiet again. "Good morning to you too, pup. Don't worry, that really was Draco. Like I said, he's agreed to behave himself and I expect the same from you too. Okay?"

"Yes, Dad." Harry replied, rolling his eyes. There was no way Malfoy would've changed like that. Harry knew that his father had told the pureblood brat to keep his attitude in check of he wanted these classes to continue. That was the only reason Malfoy hadn't launched a volley of insults at him. Harry knew Malfoy better than that. He wouldn't try and become a better person if his life depended on it.

"I'm not kidding. He didn't say a word." Harry told his two best friends as the three of them sat in his room, playing snap. "Well, its probably another of his tricks, mate. People like Malfoy don't change." Ron stated. "I know that, Ron. My dad thinks that he's trying to 'turn over a new leaf' but he's wrong."

"You know, the two of you mustn't judge him so harshly. Maybe he really is trying to change. After all, his father's gone." Hermione chided the two of them. The boys stared at the girl disbelievingly. "He's a Malfoy, Hermione." Harry protested.

"I think that he just wants the attention. When you think about it, it's kind of obvious. Wherever Malfoy goes, what's the one thing he always wants? Attention! It's all for the attention of course. Granted that he wants to learn but that doesn't mean he's changed. It's ridiculous to even think that." Ron explained.

Harry frowned at Ron's words. He wanted to say that his best friend was wrong but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. He did have a point. He hadn't thought about it previously but now it seemed to make more sense. An odd feeling crept into him and he couldn't quite shake it off. "Oh stop it both of you. What Malfoy does is none of our concern. Why are we wasting our time talking about him?" Hermione reasoned.

They didn't talk about him any further but Harry still felt rather strange. It was bad enough that he wasn't able to perform this family magic since he wasn't a Black by blood. But, the fact that his nemesis was spending a whole lot of time with his father only worsened his current position.

* * *

As the days went by, Draco's lessons continued as scheduled. Although he was a fast learner, there was a mountain of stuff left. Draco excelled at his lessons at Hogwarts and Sirius wasn't surprised one bit. When you came from a line of intelligent Blacks, excellence isn't encouraged, it's expected.

He also discovered that without Lucius' continuous presence in Draco's life, the boy was actually pretty good. He still had a good deal of pride and found it rather difficult to stop discriminating on the basis of blood superiority. But, he was making progress: slow and steady.

He had his hands full that summer: Auror missions, Draco's training and above all: spending time with his pup. Sirius did his best to ensure that Harry wasn't neglected because of his activities. They did all sorts of things together: movies, quidditch, occasional rides on Sirius' precious motorcycle and all other father-son stuff. He made certain that his boy had a wonderful summer.

Harry and Draco had moved from enemies to mutual tolerance towards each other. Although there was always an uncomfortable silence in the air whenever they were in the same room, things were a bit better. The two boys didn't hurl insults at one another, nor did they exchange hateful glances. It was just a curt nod when one happened to see the other.

For some reason, Harry found it impossible to be nice to Malfoy. He just couldn't do it. He had hated Malfoy and he still hated him. Although, he had to admit that the snob was changing, albeit slightly. But that still didn't change the fact that he hated Malfoy in his home.

He hated that Malfoy spent so much time with his dad. An uneasy feeling crept into his chest every time he thought about it. _It's called jealousy._ A voice would whisper in his head. And he absolutely loathed that feeling. All these months, he'd been the sole recipient of his father's time and attention. Sirius was that person he'd longed for every time he'd been hungry, cold, hurt and locked in his cupboard.

He tried to control his jealousy as best as he could but it was hard. "Sickle for your thoughts?" A little tap on his head jostled him. He looked up from his magazine to see Regulus staring at him with a half amused and half concerned expression. "You alright mate?"

"Yeah, I was just reading." He lied, pointing towards the magazine before him. The man rolled his eyes and pulled up a chair next to him. "You've been on that same page for the last fifteen minutes and you are a terrible liar. So, care to try that again?" Regulus asked with a small smile and Harry mentally cursed himself. He'd forgotten that like his father, Regulus was also just as observant. It was impossible to get away with lying to either of them.

"It's actually quite stupid." He admitted, twisting the hem of his shirt. "Mmhm. If it's any consolation, I think a lot of stupid things as well. I used to tell them to Sirius when I was younger. He always helped me out, after having a good laugh of course." Regulus replied and a smile tugged at Harry's lips. That was so like his dad.

"You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to." Harry wondered what to do. "I don't... I don't like it when Dad spends so much time training Malfoy." He blurted out. He waited for the man to chastise him for being childish but no such thing happened. "Continue."

Feeling slightly encouraged, he elaborated. "It's just that, the whole year, I was the only one he spent time with. Now, I know dad's only helping Malfoy but I feel sort of-"

"—Jealous." Regulus finished for him and he nodded, half ashamed of himself. Regulus didn't get upset at all. Instead, he gave Harry a rueful smile and ruffled his hair. "I'll let you in on a little secret, mate. No one knows about this, no one other than Sirius." Feeling curious, Harry inclined his head eagerly. "Throughout my years at Hogwarts, I was mighty jealous of James Potter. In fact, I hated him."

Instead of getting angry, Harry was surprised. The way Regulus treated Harry was a clear contradiction to his statement. He wanted to know more. "Why did you hate him?"

"Well, before Sirius went to Hogwarts, it was just the two of us. He was my brother and my only friend. But then, on his train to Hogwarts, he meets these other boys and they became his best friends. Especially James. They were like brothers and I hated that."

"So what did you do?" Harry asked, feeling more and more curious. He now knew that Regulus understood what was going on inside his head. "I kept it bottled up for a while but then I talked to Sirius. He made me realise that my worries were completely silly. Sure, James was his best friend and a brother in ways that mattered but I was his brother too. So, similarly, it doesn't matter if he trains Draco for an hour or days together. You're Sirius' kid, not Draco."

"Yeah, I know. But I still can't help—"

"If that's the case, what you need to do is talk to Sirius. It'll just bother you if you hide it." The man said. Harry wanted to but wasn't too sure about what his father would have to say. He knew that he wouldn't be angry but Harry felt bad all the same.

"Yeah. I think I'll do that."

He wasn't going to do it.

* * *

It all began with an idea. Harry knew that it was a stupid idea the moment it appeared in his head. But, it had already taken root. Ever since his father and Regulus had started to teach Malfoy about the familial magic, he'd been curious to find out what exactly it did and how it worked. Sirius had made it clear that he wasn't to come down at that time since there was a chance that he'd hurt himself.

But a little peep wouldn't hurt, right?

He knew that his dad wouldn't be there since it was Regulus' turn that day. That made it easier since Regulus wasn't an Animagus. He took the invisibility cloak, draped it over himself and crouched down on the stairs. He'd gotten it back at the end of the school term.

The two of them were working on some sort of knot. "Now don't look at me like that. It's not as easy as you think. Your job is to undo the knot within precisely seven minutes. Not a second more. It you can accomplish that, we'll move ahead. Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir." Said Malfoy, giving Regulus a mock salute. "Great. You start off with it and I'll be back once you're done. Let's see how well you perform on your own. The room is covered with protection charms so no major harm will be done." Said the man. Harry quietly moved out of the way as Regulus went up the stairs.

Harry watched as Malfoy focused on the rope that had been intricately knotted. He expected the other boy to pull out his wand but instead; Malfoy simply thrust his hands forward and closed his eyes. He began to chant something under his breath and Harry watched, awestruck as the rope rose upwards.

No way! No bloody way! Malfoy could do wandless magic.

Regulus had been right. It wasn't easy. The beads of sweat that had collected on Malfoy's forehead indicated that he was trying hard but the knot hadn't budged. Then suddenly, the entire room echoed with the force of the spell and some of it hit Harry. With a yelp, he tumbled down the stairs and landed on the ground with a thud.

"Potter?"

With a shock he realised that his invisibility cloak had slipped off. Great. "What the hell are you doing here?" Anger flared up in him at that. "What I'm doing is none of your business, Malfoy. You don't need to know everything. This is _my_ house and so I can do as I please." He snapped, not sure where this haughtiness was coming from. He'd never spoken to anyone like that before.

The blonde seemed unbothered by Harry's words. Instead, he smirked at Harry and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You came here to spy on me, didn't you? You can't to the magic so you're here to see what it's like. Am I right?"

Harry turned red at that because Malfoy was right. "So how long do you plan to keep up this game?" He demanded, glaring at him. "What game?" Harry scoffed at that silly question. "Malfoy, I'm not stupid. We both know how real your promise to change is. The only reason you're not insulting me at every corner because these little lessons of yours will stop the moment you do so. Am I right?"

Both of them forgot about being civil. "Aww. Is little Potter jealous that he can't do this magic? Don't worry, Potter. That doesn't make you a complete waste of space. You're just a big waste, not a complete one."

"Shut up, Malfoy. I can't believe my dad bought your story about how you were trying to become a better person. You only behave yourself because you know that he won't tolerate any nonsense from you. I know you well enough to be sure that you will never change." Malfoy's cool smirk melted off at that.

"You don't know a thing about me, Potter." He snapped. "Your father is doing me a huge favour and so I respect him for that. So, do us both some good and get out. You're wasting my time."

"Wasting your time? This is my house, Malfoy! You've got no bloody right to order me around. You're just doing it for the attention. Since your father isn't here, there's no one to spoil you rotten. Just because your dad is rotting in Azkaban, doesn't mean that you get to come in here and steal mine!"

"Harry James, what is wrong with you?" Harry winced at his father's voice. He turned around to see both Sirius and Regulus enter the room. He had expected Regulus to come back alone. He turned back to his nemesis who looked mildly smug. That only fuelled his anger. "Me? He was the one who started this whole thing in the first place."

"I didn't do anything, Potter. _You_ came here with that cloak of yours." Malfoy retorted, glaring at Harry. He could practically feel his father's disapproving stare and sagged his shoulders. He looked at the man who gave him a look that indicated they'd be discussing this shortly.

"I was just working on that knot when Potter came strutting in. He's always getting in my way, even at Hogwarts. Guess prince Potter always wants to be the centre of attention." Malfoy taunted. Harry finally lost his temper. He shoved the other boy in the chest, causing him to stagger backward.

Malfoy was also about to retaliate when a hand grabbed his arm. "Both of you will stop this rubbish right now. You have five seconds to rein yourselves in. Otherwise, Harry, you will be grounded for the remainder of the week. You Draco, will go home and the training will be terminated."

As much as he wanted Malfoy out, he didn't want to be grounded either. He was smart enough to recognise the tone in his dad's voice. He saw Regulus look at him from the corner of his eye and the man shook his head slightly. Unlike Sirius, he actually knew what had caused Harry to act the way he had. _You didn't tell him, did you?_ Harry understood the mouthed words and dropped his gaze. No, he hadn't.

"Right. Harry, come upstairs for a minute, please. Draco, I'll down in a bit. Just wait here."

"No, that's fine, I'll talk to Draco." Regulus suggested. Sirius appeared relieved, probably about the fact that he had to deal with only one of them. "Alright." He gestured at Harry to go upstairs and followed the boy out after a look at Draco. The blonde's expression was actually sad. The previous smugness had been wiped off his face.

Once the two of them had left, Regulus turned to Draco. He didn't know what had made him want to speak to the boy. Sirius was much better at handling such things. Perhaps it was the fact that Draco sort of reminded him of himself, when he'd been younger.

He was just starting to know Draco and yet he had already realised that the two of them were quite similar. He found himself wanting to help him out.

And so he would. Draco Malfoy would start afresh.

* * *

 **My dear, wonderful readers, I'm so sorry it took me this long to update. So, some of you'll must've picked up on the hints in thus story. Even in the cannon version, I think of Draco and Regulus as kindred spirits. Both of them were raised by an unfit father and forced to learn crap without knowing its true significance.**

 **Don't worry; Harry isn't the only one who's in trouble. Draco's not off the hook.**

 **Regulus might sort of become a mentor in Draco's life. Obviously, in the next chapter, Harry and Draco will sort out their differences. As for Regulus' role in Harry's life, he'll soon be promoted to the title 'Uncle Reg.' Harry is starting to learn what a proper uncle is like.**

 **A big, big thank you to all those brilliant readers who wait for my updates. All of your supportive comments really mean a lot. I do hope my chapters are worth the wait. I'll try and update soon.**

 **Lastly, thank you for reading this author's note and the other ones I've posted occasionally. Love you guys!**


	34. Chapter 33: Heart-to-Heart

**I recently received a message from one of the readers, asking a question. I think some of you all might have thought about it as well.**

 **Why is Sirius such a great dad?**

 **Now that is actually a valid question. I should have answered this earlier, but anyway. Now, a lot of people feel that Sirius would have made a terrible parent. The most common explanation for this theory is the face that he was locked up in Azkaban for a long time.**

 **Now, up to a certain extent, that theory is partially correct. But, in my story, as you have seen, I have a different opinion. The reason Sirius turned out to be such an exceptional dad is because of his own childhood coupled with the fact that he'd already missed a decade of Harry's life. When he found out that Harry's childhood had been abusive, he vowed to repair that.**

 **Also, it's the fear of failing his godson that made him think through his every decision. Rash choices has already cost him dearly and so he isn't going to make that mistake again.**

* * *

Ten minutes before, Harry'd felt mildly satisfied when he'd put Malfoy in his place. Now, standing in his dad's study, he felt like an utter idiot. He'd nearly been scolded in front of Malfoy. He didn't understand what had made him snap at Malfoy like that.

Sure, the two of them had their spats but he'd never behaved so badly. But deep down, he knew exactly why he'd reacted the way he had. He just wasn't willing to admit that something so petty had gotten the better of him. Regulus was right. He should've spoken to Sirius about it the moment that particular thought had occurred to him. And yet, even now, he was hesitant to voice his insecurities.

"So, care to tell me what all that was about?" Sirius asked, crossing his arms and leaning back against the desk. _I'd rather not._ But he was pretty sure that such an answer wasn't the best way to appease a displeased father. "I'm sorry." He said instead.

"I don't want you to apologise, not now. What I want to know is why. I know my boy better than anyone else, so I know that what happened downstairs wasn't you. I didn't return the cloak to you so that you could use it for something dangerous. If that protection spell hadn't been strong enough, you would have hurt yourself. If there's something bothering you, I need you to talk to me. I've told you this a million times, Harry but I can't help you out if you refuse to talk about it." Said Sirius, running a hand through his hair.

"You'll call me an idiot." Harry replied, actually feeling like one. He couldn't believe that he'd allowed Malfoy to ruin his day. Sirius' mouth quirked upward a little. "Probably. But I doubt it can be something so silly that we can't sort it out."

"I didn't mean to yell at Malfoy. I didn't mean to go against what you'd told me either, Dad. I was just... curious." He began. "If you were curious, you could've just asked me. I would have told you. There was absolutely no need to sneak in like that, Harry."

"I know, Dad and I'm sorry." He said. "Look, we cannot get past this if we don't talk about whatever's bothering you. An apology isn't going to cut it this time. You're not escaping this without talking to me. Whatever it is, just tell me." Said Sirius. That's when Harry knew that there was no getting out of this. "I didn't–don't like it when you help Malfoy with his magic."

Genuinely surprised, Sirius asked: "Why not?" Harry bit his lip a bit before continuing. "I don't know, it's really stupid but I feel... I just get jealous." He finished. "Oh." _Oh._ That one word told Harry that his father had understood everything. And damn was he relieved because he hadn't at all been looking forward to explaining the details to Sirius.

"Why didn't you talk to me? Kiddo, we need to brush up on our communication skills." Said the man, shaking his head. "There was no need to feel jealous. I mean, at Hogwarts, I taught loads of other students but that never bothered you."

"Yes but Dad, that's different. I know it's selfish and inconsiderate but–" He was rambling. "Slow down there, Harry. Selfish? Inconsiderate? That's anything but you. I get that you were upset about me teaching Draco but you should have talked to me."

"I know. Damn I'm so stupid." Harry mumbled to himself, feeling really, really stupid. "Stupid? Definitely not one of your wiser choices; but that doesn't make you stupid. Although, I won't deny that you are a little thick skulled." The man replied with a wink. "But all jokes aside, I'm not Draco's father, right?"

"No, you're mine." Harry said and warmth blossomed in his chest when he said that. "Damn right I am. Which means, I'm the one who's going to 'torture' you," he said, giving Harry a light jab to his ribs. "You're the one who'll have to listen to me when I tease you endlessly about your first crush and girlf—"

"Yes Dad, I get it!" Harry's face was flaming.

"Good. It also means that I'm the one who's going to yell at you when you do something silly." He said. Harry knew that the man wasn't all that mad at him now but he didn't like it all the same. "I know, Dad and I swear, it won't happen again."

"I know it won't, kiddo. So that's what all that 'stealing-my-dad' rubbish was about?" Turning red, Harry nodded. "It was dumb, very dumb. Regulus told me to talk to you about it but at that moment, I didn't want to."

"Well, I'm glad we got this over with. Your worries are completely unfounded, Harry. _You're_ my boy. Okay?" Harry felt a wide grin wash over his face and he nodded. "Great. Now, after a bit, you and Draco will talk it out and sort out your differences. I won't have the two of you at each other's throats all the time." Harry wanted to protest but he didn't. The last thing he wanted was to have a conversation with Malfoy but there was no other way. "Fine."

"It won't be as bad as you think. I don't want to be too harsh since it is the middle of summer. But, you're grounded for the day." Said Sirius. Harry stared at his father disbelievingly. "Dad! Malfoy is also guilty."

"I know that, Harry. You're grounded because you snuck into the basement, not because of Draco." Sirius replied. Harry sighed but didn't push the matter any further. The man put his arm around Harry and ruffled his hair.

Harry decided that at least one good thing had come from his latest adventure. He'd finally gathered up the courage to talk to his father about his worries. Now, he actually found them rather ridiculous. Sirius was just helping Malfoy. For the first time, his nemesis was actually innocent. Not completely, but to a certain extent. He hadn't tried to 'steal dads' after all.

He wasn't looking forward to their conversation one bit. But, he was determined to get through it without losing his temper. He put his arms around the man's waist and hugged him tightly. He'd been such an idiot to think that Malfoy was seeking attention. Sirius was Harry's dad and nothing would ever change that.

* * *

Draco decided that out of the two brothers, Regulus was definitely less intimidating. He didn't know what exactly had made him arrive at that conclusion; perhaps it was the fact that the older Black had been responsible for his father's apprehension. Regulus didn't look angry and for that, he was thankful. But he was pissed at Potter for getting him into this situation in the first place. Always up to no good.

"You've got quite the mouth on you, mate. This really isn't done." Draco had expected a yelling but this quiet rebuke was somehow worse. "I know, sir." He replied. It was taking a lot of effort on his part to not defend himself. He wanted to yell that it was Potter's fault, not his. But that wasn't the truth. He truly realised how hard it was to accept your own mistakes.

"Kiddo, you've honestly come a long way ever since these lessons started. You've been doing incredibly well and I'm not talking about just the training. Not once have you lost your temper or snapped out like this. You're genuinely improving and I don't want you to throw it all away in a fit."

Draco was used to harsh criticism and discipline. He'd received it all his life from his father. He could deal with harsh words, but this gentle, quiet scolding was something entirely new. He had no idea how to respond to it. But, in a way, it was far more difficult to bear than his father's chastisement. This made him _feel_ bad. He was so used to suppressing his emotions, so this was hard.

"Draco, you are a brilliant young wizard and I know you can go a long way. I'll repeat myself: don't throw it all away." The man sounded like he actually cared. A lump formed in his throat and he tried to shove it down but was clearly unsuccessful. He could feel the heat building up behind his eyes. _Don't cry, don't cry, don't you dare cry._ He had managed to hold it together for all these weeks. Heck, even his mother hadn't seen him cry in the past so many years. He wasn't going to break down in front of a man he was just starting to know.

He respected both the brothers immensely and had started to look up to them. He wouldn't allow them to think he was a sniveling wuss. But even as he chanted the words in his head, the first of many tears made its way down his cheek.

"Just let it out, Draco." It was as though a dam had burst inside him. He pulled himself up on one of the chairs and cried. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried properly. He cried because his father never loved him, he cried because he thought _no one_ liked him and he cried because he was a failure.

This was a well overdue catharsis. All that pent up rage, sadness, fear— it was high time he got rid of it. He didn't stop the tears anymore as they flowed down rapidly. Regulus didn't say anything; he simply stood there and gave Draco some time. The tide just wouldn't stop and he didn't bother.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew it was Regulus. His father would've been appalled to see him sobbing like this while his mother would be sad. "I was never good enough. He thought of me as nothing but a failure. I tried my best to make him realise that I was worth it but he never understood." He sobbed.

He was far too caught up in his own misery to hear the sharp breath Regulus drew.

Once there were no more tears left, he wiped his eyes and composed himself. He didn't want to meet Regulus' gaze, not after his little display of waterworks.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, his voice hoarse from all the crying. "Nothing to be sorry for, mate. I recall doing the exact same thing several years ago." Said Regulus and Draco observed the placid expression on the man's face. He wasn't angry, not was he judging or mocking him. "You did?"

"I sure did. I was eleven, just back from my first year at Hogwarts. I got into a rather nasty spat with my father and it didn't work out too well for me. When Sirius found me in my room and asked me what happened, I broke down. I'd held my emotions back all my life and I just unleashed it all at once."

"I cried really long and hard you know. My tears literally soaked Sirius' shirt, Draco. That day, I began to realise what I'd been doing wrong. It was really unhealthy to hold it back like that. I thought tears made me weak so I tried to suppress them but I learned."

Draco realised just how much he had in common with the man. Other than sharing a childhood memory, he'd offered him some advice: don't do this. Stop trying to stem the tide of emotions. "He didn't want me to show weakness. My father."

"Well, he isn't here anymore to tell you what to do, right? Don't let him control you all the way from Azkaban. Just let him go." The words sounded so inviting. "I know it's hard but I want you to promise me that you'll try."

"I promise."

"Good. Now, I know that the lessons were supposed to end the moment you broke any of the rules but you are doing really well, Draco. I think we'll wipe the slate clean this one time. We'll take a break for two days and then we can resume. I think that sounds fair?"

It was more than fair. "Yes, definitely. I'm sorry about today, Regulus. I won't let you down again." Apologising was another thing that was very difficult for him, but he knew that it was needed. "I know you won't."

"Will you tell my mother?" Draco knew that his mother would be quite upset if she found out about the way he had reacted. She had always taught him to be controlled in his actions. "I should, but I think we'll let it slide, this one time mind you."

"Thank you."

Draco knew that Regulus had effectively ended the discussion and he couldn't have been more relieved. Ten minutes later, Sirius came downstairs and he wondered what would happen now.

Sirius observed the duo as he entered the room. His brother looked alright but Draco wasn't. His eyes were a little puffy and his nose was red: he had been crying. Surprised, he turned to Regulus and raised an eyebrow. _Later._

He didn't bring up the matter. "Don't look at me like that, Draco. I'm not here to clobber you." The boy managed a small laugh at that. "Come on now." He said. "Where to?" Draco asked. "You and Harry need to talk things over and stop trying to bite each other's heads off at every instant."

"You want me to talk to Potter?" Draco inquired, hoping that he hadn't heard the man correctly. "Yes. It's not going to be as awful as you think. Keep your head cool and just talk to each other. Okay?" He would have argued but something told him that he wouldn't have gotten very far. "Fine, I'll talk to him."

"Alright, you two talk and blah blah blah, I'll go and fix myself a snack. I'm rather hungry anyway." Said Regulus and he was off.

Draco saw Harry sitting in Sirius' study, looking okay. He didn't look all that happy but neither was he upset. "Potter." He forced the word out without the usual malice and spite. He hoped he didn't give away the fact that he'd just bawled his eyes out in the basement. "Malfoy."

After that, there was an awkward silence in the room. Initially, Draco had planned on just waiting quietly in the room and then tell Sirius that the conversation had taken place. But for some reason, lying didn't seem like such an appealing option.

"Why do you hate me so much?" The question disrupted the uncomfortable silence of the room and Draco was almost glad. Almost. The question caught him off guard. Of all the things he had expected Potter to say, it wasn't that. "Shut up, Potter."

"I won't, Malfoy. We're supposed to talk right? So let's talk. Why do you hate me? I didn't do anything to you. In fact, you were the one that's always been such an utter prat." When Malfoy still remained silent, Harry pressed on. "My dad thinks you're trying to become a better person. Now I personally feel that's total rubbish. So, prove me wrong."

"I don't have to prove anything to you, Potter." Malfoy snapped, glaring at Harry. "Maybe. But I know that you are trying to convince both, my dad and Regulus." Harry knew that in a way, he was manipulating Malfoy but that didn't matter. He genuinely wanted to know why the other boy loathed him. The only person who hated him more than Malfoy was Snape.

"I don't hate you, Potter. Just call it envy." He did _not_ expect that. "You envy me? Are you daft? Why in Merlin's name would you be jealous of me? " Harry just couldn't understand. "You are jealous because I receive unwanted attention wherever I go? Are you jealous of my scar? Or are you jealous that my parents were mercilessly murdered by a power-hungry sociopath?"

"Stop feeling so sorry for yourself, Potter and look at yourself! You live with the richest man in the wizarding world and you have everything one could ever want. Although Sirius isn't your real father, from what I've seen, he cares about you more than any other father would for his own son. Trust me, I'd know. In this house, your every whim is satisfied, you-know-who is as good as gone and so, there's nothing you need to worry about. You wanted to know why I was jealous? Now you do."

Harry felt an uncharacteristic anger bubble inside him at that. Malfoy had absolutely no right to say that! "You don't know a thing, Malfoy! You don't know what it's like to live like an orphan. You will never understand what it's like to spend ever second of your life in fear, hunger and pain. You don't know what it's like to be whipped by your uncle within a—" Harry abruptly stopped.

What had he just done? He'd gone ahead and revealed his darkest and most shameful secret to his enemy. No one was supposed to know about this! No one knew about this other than Sirius. Now that Malfoy knew, it was only a matter of time before word spread. This couldn't be happening. He could already imagine the headlines in the Prophet: _Boy-who-lived bullied by muggle uncle._

 _Calm down. Calm down._ He tried to calm himself down before he drove himself into a panic attack.

"Potter?" He stiffened at Malfoy's voice and balled his hands. "You can't tell anyone. No one can know about this." He said, forcing himself to sound steady.

Draco couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Potter had been abused by his muggle uncle. He had always thought that the other boy had been spoilt all his life. He couldn't have been more wrong. "I won't tell anyone, Potter. I promise." He was completely honest and intended on keeping that particular promise. Potter had been abused while he himself had been neglected. The ones who were meant to protect them and keep them safe had betrayed both of them.

The only difference was that Potter's abuse had been physical while his was psychological. "So are you still jealous?" Draco picked up on the bitter undertone in his voice. "No, not so much."

"So uh, it's your turn, Potter. Why do you hate me? I told you, now you tell me." When the other boy looked at him, he raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Since when did you want to know anything about me?" He asked. "Don't flatter yourself, Potter. I just want to get this over with. I'm pretty sure your dad's not going to let us go anywhere until we're through with this." He scoffed, but he actually wanted to know why the two of them never got along. It was partly his fault but Potter wasn't all that innocent either.

"You want to know? Malfoy, you're always picking on my friends and just about everyone in general. You called Hermione that vile name, you taunt Ron about his family's financial status and on a general basis, you are horrible to anyone and everyone. It's no wonder that everybody hates you."

Draco was surprised by how much the words stung. He had already admitted to himself that he'd been a complete arse towards everybody, but it hurt when someone else pointed it out so bluntly. He'd already done enough crying for a while and he would not cry in front of Potter.

He searched his vocabulary for the right words to say. He knew what he had to say but it was his damn pride that prevented him from doing so. _Just say it. They're just words._ But, if he said them, he'd actually mean them. How hard could it be?

"I'm sorry."

Harry was glad he hadn't been drinking anything at that time. An apology from Draco Malfoy? Such things definitely did not occur on a daily basis. "What?"

"Stop gawking at me, Potter. It makes you look like an idiot. I said it, okay? I'm sorry for every stupid, bloody, thing I've said and done over the past two years. Alright?"

Even in his shocked state, Harry was able to make out the way the words had been said. Malfoy really did mean that apology. Now, he didn't know what to do. A major part of him believed that Malfoy's apology was sincere. But a small part of him remained of the opinion that it was just another game; a trick.

But then, he remembered something Malfoy had said before. _Although Sirius isn't your real father, from what I've seen, he cares about you more than any other father would for his own son. Trust me, I'd know._ Had he been referring to his own father?

But that couldn't be possible, right? From what he'd seen, Malfoy Sr. had always doted upon his son: fulfilling his every demand. But then again, no one knew better than him, just how deceiving appearances were. The Dursleys had successfully spread their tale about how Petunia's sister and her jobless husband had gotten themselves killed, leaving their only son behind. From the goodness of their hearts, they had taken the baby in and raised him as their own. Nothing was farther from the truth.

So, maybe Malfoy was really trying to change. His father had been right all along. "Fine. Apology accepted," he stated plainly.

An almost relieved expression crossed Malfoy's face before it was gone. "I'm sorry for what I said about your father. It wasn't right."

"Don't be. He deserves to be there." Then there was some more awkward silence. "So how much trouble did you get into?" Harry would've never imagined that this day would come. He was actually having a normal conversation with his nemesis! "I'm grounded for the day. What about you?"

"No training for two days. So did Sirius chew you out? He looked pretty ticked off." Malfoy asked with a smirk. But this time, it wasn't mean or nasty. "Oh he was, but then he calmed down after I explained things."

"Yeah, he seems like a great father." Malfoy agreed and Harry heard it again: that small but evident tone of jealousy. He knew that Malfoy Sr. had been a mean-spirited person but had he exhibited that same level of harshness towards his own son? He wanted to ask but knew that he had no right.

"He is. The best in the entire world." A ghost of a smile formed on Malfoy's face and he gave Harry a nod. "I need to get going now. See you around, Potter." And he left the room.

* * *

"You know, Draco reminds me a lot of another boy I once knew." Regulus smiled and shook his head. Nothing ever escaped his brother's notice. He accepted the glass of brandy from Sirius and took a sip. There really was a lot in common between him and Draco. He didn't know that Lucius had been such a terrible father. Almost as bad as Orion Black. _Almost_.

"We had a somewhat heart-to-heart discussion today. The way he broke down; that was exactly how I'd acted all those years ago. You're right, Sirius. He reminds me so much of my younger self that it's scary. I don't want him making the same mistakes as me."

"He won't, trust me. Reggie, he's working hard to free himself from Lucius. The last thing he'll do is follow into his footsteps. Draco doesn't want to be anything like his father. He might have wanted that man's approval back then, but now, he wants nothing to do with him."

"I hope you're right. Other than that, I'm glad Harry spoke to you about his insecurities. That's a gem of a boy you've got there, Sirius."

"I know. He clearly trusts you, Reggie. The only other person he's ever opened up to is me. If he was brave enough to talk to you about something like this, he definitely trusts you." Sirius said, smiling fondly. "I'll go and check on the little rascal now. I told him we'd go to the beach one of these days."

Sirius found Harry playing with his snitch. He sat down next to the boy and ruffled his hair. "What're you doing here all by yourself?"

"Just thinking. I talked to Malfoy today. He isn't all that bad. And you were right, Dad. He really is trying." Sirius nodded in response. "His dad was horrible to him. It's not fair."

"I know, kiddo. Not everything's fair, Harry."

"I know and I'm sorry that I was so stupid to think like that. Today I realised just how lucky I am. My dad is brilliant, even if he does ground me occasionally." Sirius smiled warmly at Harry's words and winked. "I'm bloody brilliant, aren't I?"

Harry grinned mischievously at him. "He is brilliant but there are times where he can be a bit big-headed and—"

"Why you little rascal! I'll show you big-headed!" Laughter filled the house as Harry fled down the stairs with Padfoot right behind him.

They weren't perfect. They were something much more precious: they were family.

* * *

 ***Drum roll** *** How was it? I felt like this chapter was really necessary for the plot.**


	35. Chapter 34: A Teenager in the Family

As promised, Sirius took Harry to the beach and needless to say, he enjoyed himself, other than some 'unexpected events.' At one point, Sirius had been literally cornered by three very pretty witches, who were simply vying for his attention. Harry had found it very uncomfortable when they batted their eyelashes or 'innocently' ran their fingers down Sirius' arm. He had actually thought his pepperoni pizza would make a rather hasty reappearance.

One of them had repeatedly pinched and pulled Harry's cheeks and called him a 'cute little boy' before gushing about how single dads were the wonderful. His cheeks felt sore! To make things more awkward for Harry, Sirius had flirted with those ladies, reciprocating their honey sweet words with his disarmingly charming smile laced with a compliment or two.

He was relieved when the women finally left. "I'm not a cute _little_ boy!" That was the first thing he said once they were out of earshot. His father burst out laughing, pulled Harry into a headlock and tousled his hair. "Well, I don't know about cute, but you're definitely little." Sirius teased. Harry squirmed out of the headlock and glared at the man.

"I am not little. I'm just slightly shorter than the other boys in my year." He protested, although an unwilling grin had appeared on his face. "You're probably right." Sirius replied before smirking at the boy. "Although, I have a hunch that you would still fit into that old onesie of yours. I think it's tucked away somewhere in my wardrobe." The man commented casually.

"Hey!"

"Just kidding." Sirius said, throwing his arm around his boy's shoulders. Harry knew that his father was just pulling his leg but that didn't change the face that he was indeed shorter than quite a few of his classmates. "Why can't I get taller?" He groaned, kicking the sand around him. "Don't fret about it, kiddo. You'll grow. In fact, you have grown a good deal this year and you've gained a bit of weight as well." Sirius reassured him.

"Well I don't feel any taller. If anything, I think I'm growing shorter! Ron's nearly as tall as his dad already and even Malfoy is taller than me. I'll be scrawny for the rest of my life." Harry grumbled. Sirius rolled his eyes at his son's worries and sat down on the sand, pulling Harry with him. "You'll develop grey hair even before you come of age, if you don't stop worrying so much."

"Besides, both James and Lily were amongst the shortest students in our batch. James wasn't much taller than what you are now, nor was Lily." The offhand manner, in which Sirius said the words, somehow calmed Harry. It made him feel more... normal.

"Fine. I'll stop worrying." Harry replied. Sirius grinned mischievously and pinched Harry's cheek. "Well, aren't you a cute little boy."

"DAD!"

* * *

"SURPRISE!" Harry jolted awake and stared with wide eyes. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny were all standing in his bedroom, with huge smiles. "W-What?" His words came out like a yawn as he had been fast asleep. He put on his glasses to get a better look.

George lightly whacked him across the head. "Close your mouth, mate. You'll catch flies." All of them were grinning widely at him. Fred stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Harry Potter, we are all gathered here today at this hour so that we may bring in your birthday and be with you on this special day." He spoke in an overly dramatic and formal tone, eliciting giggles and laughs from everyone.

"Yeah, stop staring and get out of bed, lad. It's your birthday. Almost." Harry glanced at the clock on his nightstand: 11:30. Half an hour left. "Pup, do you plan to just sit there and gawk at them for the remainder of the night?" It was then that he noticed his father standing at the door. "Dad, you knew about this?"

"Of course, silly. Who else do you think planned all this?" Sirius asked with his trademark grin. Nearly bursting with elation, Harry jumped out of bed. He was at once hoisted onto the twins' shoulders. "Hey! Put me down!" He cried, but he wasn't actually serious.

"Never!"

"Dad! Help me!" Harry said, although the laughter in his voice said otherwise. "Nope, not helping. This sort of reminds me of the time when you'd somehow spilled chocolate syrup all over your head on your first birthday. Lily carried you to the bathroom and—"

"Dad! Stop embarrassing me." Harry mumbled under his breath but he knew that the animagus would hear him. "Just doing my job, son." They went down where a three-tier cake, plates and spoons and a huge pile of presents were waiting. Once the twins set (threw) Harry onto the sofa, Harry shot up towards the cake but Sirius grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. "Not yet, pup. We still have twenty three minutes to go."

"Fiiiine, I'll wait. Where's Regulus?" He asked. "Right here, kiddo." Regulus was indeed there and he floated his own pile of presents towards the already large stack. His eyes widened at the sight of the total number of presents in the room. He was sure that presents were all wonderful but what mattered most was that he was amongst those he cared about.

The countdown began exactly one minute before Harry's birthday. "59, 58... 3, 2, 1! Happy Birthday!" They all gathered around him in a group hug. "Happy birthday, mate." Said Ron, playfully punching his shoulder. The twins banged Harry on the back while Hermione gave him a bear hug. Ginny wished him a shy happy birthday before her cheeks coloured and she ducked away.

"Happy Birthday, pup." A familiar arm wrapped around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Thanks, Dad." Both of them knew that he hadn't said 'thank you' just for the birthday wishes. He threw his arms around Sirius, hugging the man back. His father kissed him on the forehead and he didn't move away, despite the fact that his friends were probably watching. They'd tease him about it later on but it was worth it. He'd spent years dreaming about these moments. Now that he had it, he wasn't going to let go.

"What? No hug for Reg?" He laughed and pulled away, only to be drawn into another hug by Regulus. "Happy birthday, mate." He said, mussing Harry's hair. "Thanks, Reg. Can we eat the cake now?" He asked. Sirius rolled his eyes at the exaggerated tone of the boy's voice. "Yes, you can."

Everyone crowded around the birthday cake and pure happiness filled the room. "Make a wish, kiddo." His father said. Harry searched his mind for something that he wanted; but nothing came up. He already had everything he wanted. He was the luckiest boy in world. Nevertheless, he smiled and blew out the candles.

Becky and Dobby made quick work of cutting out huge slices of cake for everyone. Next up were the presents. Each Weasley had given Harry a gift; one from Hermione and even the house elves had given him presents. The rest of the huge pile was from Sirius and Regulus. Finally, at around one thirty, all the kids went upstairs to the guest rooms and within no time, all of them were out like a light. Only Harry was awake. He knew that his dad would come by to say goodnight and he was right.

"Hey, pup." The man smiled and moved to sit down next to Harry. "Today was just awesome, Dad. Thanks a lot." He said, unable to keep the grin off his face. "I'm glad you liked it." They sat quietly for a bit before Sirius broke the silence.

"Damn, kiddo, it's kind of hard to digest the fact that you're thirteen already. You're growing up way too fast, pup." Harry wanted to protest that on the contrary, it was taking too long but he kept quiet for his dad's sake. Instead, he settled for teasing the man. "Need a box of tissues, Dad?" He asked innocently. Sirius rolled his eyes and lightly swatted Harry's behind. "Brat." He said but the fondness in his tone was evident.

"Sleep now. I'm pretty sure your friends will come barging in and pull you out of bed. It'll save me some work." Sirius said with a wink. Harry laughed and lay down. "Goodnight, pup. I love you." Harry yawned and snuggled in a little more. "G'night, Dad. Love you more."

* * *

The next day was also brilliant. As Sirius had predicted, Harry's friends once again 'attacked' his room and pulled him out of bed. The first thing they did was feast on an enormous birthday breakfast. "Mate, this is absolutely brilliant. It's even better than Mum's." said Ron as he helped himself to yet another piece of bacon.

"Don't let mum hear you say that, Ronnie." George advised. Initially, they'd all planned to go for a one-day picnic but then they'd dropped the idea since there was a chance of being spotted by muggles while playing Quidditch. So, they settled on spending the day at Black Manor itself.

A little later, the twins snuck away from the rest of the friends and retreated to a quiet corner of the house. They wanted to chalk out pranks for the upcoming year. George pulled out the Marauder's map and the two of them bent over it. "We won't repeat any of the pranks. New term, new pranks."

"This time, we need to succeed in every one of them. Last year wasn't quite as we had planned. Some of our pranks backfired and not once, not once did we succeed in tricking Professor Black. We need to get every one of them this year." George stated with conviction. "Let's start with Minnie."

"See, every Tuesday, Mcgonagall goes for her rounds to make sure that the students are following rules and stuff. When she reaches the fourth portrait from the stairs, where—"

"Actually, this year, she'll be making her rounds every Thursday." A voice casually said and both of them turned around to see Sirius smirking at them. "Uh... hi, Professor." Fred began rather awkwardly. Although Sirius wasn't a professor anymore, they'd gotten used to addressing him as such.

Sirius knew as well as the two boys that had their mother been here instead, they would have landed themselves in major trouble. But no one enjoyed a good prank like Sirius Black. "Secondly, it annoys her more if the dung bombs hit her in the face than on top of her head." He continued nonchalantly. "So, you might want to position everything accordingly."

"Professor, how in the world do you know so much about pranks?" Sirius leaned against the wall and shrugged. "Let's just say that I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Fred and George shared a glance before looking back at Sirius. They could get some serious information here. "Professor Black, you are our favourite professor. We've never enjoyed learning this much until you started teaching. That's the reason we never tried to play a prank on you. Would you be so kind as to share some more details with us?"

Sirius rolled his eyes at them. "Right. What actually happened was that you'll tried many a time and it backfired. I distinctly remember every single time you two tried to prank me and failed." He said. "You knew?" George asked as surprise washed over their faces. Sirius gave them his trademark smirk. "Of course I did. Who else changed the arrangements so that they'd backfire?"

Instead of getting upset over the fact that they'd been pranked, they were genuinely impressed. A person had to be exceptionally good in order to trick Fred and George Weasley. "How did you do it?"

"A prankster never reveals his secrets. Let's just say I've been in this profession long before you were born. I'm surprised you two boys haven't figured it out yet." He said. "Figured out what?"

"The Marauders' Map? The ones who created it? Goodness, you are slow." He said. There was a minute of silence before it dawned on them. "No way. No bloody way." Fred's eyes widened in an almost comical manner. "Finally! I thought you'd never get it!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning widely. "So that's what you meant when you said you knew them well? You are really one of them?"

"Absolutely."

"You are?" George asked, his voice filled with something akin to awe. "I'm Padfoot." Sirius said with a casual one-shouldered shrug. Both the boys let out an excited shout. "We've found you!" Fred said, pretending to wipe a tear away.

They glanced at one another and got down on their knees in front of Sirius, grinning like maniacs. "Please, O Great One, teach us to be half as great as you and your companions. We solemnly swear to carry forward this legacy and the walls of Hogwarts shall never know a dull moment." Said George.

Sirius burst out laughing at their theatrics. He liked the Weasley twins; they were the fun sort. "Get up, you two. I don't mind lending a trick or two." He said. Grinning excitedly, they got up. "So who are the others? And please, don't tell us that it's a story for another day." Said Fred, recollecting the last time they'd spoken about the Marauders map.

Fred and George couldn't believe their luck. They were standing before a Marauder— the Marauder. They'd spent years thinking about what their role models would be like. Now they'd actually met one of them. It was too good to be true.

"Fine, I'll tell you. We were the best of friends, more like brothers. The fou– three of us were thick as thieves. If you go and ask Minnie, she'll confidently tell you that my best friend and I are responsible for every single grey hair she possesses." Said Sirius with a nostalgic smile.

He distinctly remembered Minerva's words: _I swear, , Mr. Potter; I hold you both guilty for the increasing number of grey hair on my head._

"Freddie, we've finally found someone— the one who troubled old Minnie more than ourselves. So who were the rest of the Marauders?" George repeated his question excitedly. Sirius finally took mercy on the two boys and divulged the great secret. "Well, as you'll now know, I'm Padfoot. You've met Remus Lupin, haven't you?"

At their nod, he continued. "He's Moony. Another _friend_ of ours was Wormtail. And lastly, my best friend James Potter was Prongs." The bitter edge in Sirius' voice when he'd spoken of the traitor warned the twins that it was an 'off limits' topic. They were far more concerned with something else altogether. "So Harry is the son of a Marauder and the godson of another? That lucky little..."

Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at their reaction. "And he never thought it was necessary to tell us? He had better watch out." Fred said and George agreed wholeheartedly. "If you both are going to go after Harry, I think I'm going to have to change my mind about teaching you new pranks. He is my boy after all." Sirius mused out loud with a smirk.

Their vehement protest filled the room almost immediately. "Who said anything about Harry? He's like our baby brother. We said we'd watch out for him. You must've misheard us, Professor." George said.

"Brilliant. I see no harm in _educating_ you boys." He said, looking excited himself. "When do we start?" They asked, eyes gleaming at the prospect of learning from the great Marauder and prankster extraordinaire, Sirius Black.

"Well, for starters, you can work on undoing those stink sap balloons and slime cobwebs in my room. I must say, it was a rather poor attempt to prank me." He paused for a minute and shook his head in mock exasperation. "My, my. We do have our work cut out for us." He said with a grin and walked away, leaving two very awed and impressed boys behind.

* * *

Later that evening, once all the Weasleys and Hermione had gone back home, the occupants of the Manor received a surprise visit from Remus. It had been quite some time since the werewolf had come over. Nearly two months.

Remus received quite the shock when he stepped out of the floo and into the living room. He had sent an owl to Sirius earlier during the day, telling him that he would drop by. He hadn't expected to find Regulus Black, Sirius' supposedly 'dead' brother sitting and reading a magazine.

"R-Regulus?" His voice betrayed his shock. "Oh, hello, Lupin. Come, sit down. Good to see you." While Remus had never actually known Regulus, he remembered his behaviour quite well. Whenever Regulus had met either him or James, he'd always been very cold towards them. "I thought you were—"

"Dead? Oh well, but I'm not. It's great, isn't it? It's a long story." The man said with a smirk.

At that precise moment, Sirius came downstairs, followed by Harry. He looked at the duo and smiled warmly. That boy would follow Sirius anywhere. He had a feeling that if Sirius asked the child to jump off a cliff, he'd do it without question.

"Long time no see, mate." Said Sirius casually as he sat down on the sofa. Remus winced at the undertone. He'd been off the grid for two months and hadn't responded to any letters. He'd explain things later. But first he turned to the birthday boy. "Happy birthday, Harry." He said, offering his hand. Harry stood up and accepted the hand with a large grin. He'd clearly had a wonderful birthday. Remus pulled out a wrapped parcel from his robe pocket and handed it to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit for so long, Harry. But, I had to leave since it was some really urgent work." Remus explained. "It's alright, Remus. I had a great summer with Dad and Reg." Harry replied, immediately forgiving him.

Sirius, ever observant, noticed the look on Remus' face. He wanted to say something but not in front of Harry. "Pup, why don't you go and run yourself a bath?" He suggested. Then, on a teasing note he continued: "You've done nothing but bum around all day, playing Quidditch and all. You'll start attracting flies if you don't get cleaned up."

"Haha." Harry replied. "Fine, I'll go. And I don't smell." He stated. "Come down quickly or there'll be no dinner left." Sirius added jokingly. "Yes, mum." Harry mumbled, although he was grinning on the inside. There was a major part of him that relished the feeling of being fussed over.

"I heard that, young man." He turned around and met Sirius' amused expression. "Alright, alright. I'm going." He dragged the last word out and went up to his room, mumbling something about super-powerful Dads.

"So I see you finally decided to visit." Sirius said, once Harry was upstairs. Remus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. He was just getting over his shock of Regulus being alive. "I'm sorry. I was away on a mission. It was a favour to Dumbledore. Once the term ended, he asked me if I could help him out with something."

"And you agreed." Sirius finished. He knew his werewolf friend well enough. Remus still felt like he owed Dumbledore a lot for allowing him to study at Hogwarts. "You didn't answer the floo nor did you reply to any letters. What was this mission anyway?" Sirius asked, frowning slightly.

"It was rather strange actually. He sent me to procure two objects for him. I don't know why he wanted them but I got them for him. He said that they'd been lost for decades now. He said that they needed to be destroyed, Merlin knows why."

"So what happened then?" It was Regulus who voiced the question. "Nothing much, really. The objects were quite hard to locate and so it took me a lot of time. I returned only yesterday." The man finished. "What were these objects?"

"A ring from an old pureblood family, the Gaunts and a cup of some sort. I got both of them and handed them to Dumbledore." Sirius furrowed his brows, deep in thought. Why had Dumbledore sent Remus to fetch those items? "I figured that they were probably some sort of dark objects since they gave out this sort of negative energy." The werewolf said.

Sirius had a suspicion about exactly what these objects were, but he wasn't too sure. He decided to have a word with Dumbledore the next time he met the old man.

* * *

Regulus pushed himself up and closed the file he'd been going through. It was well past one. Most of the cases were going quite well, the number of death eater attacks had drastically reduced and there were only a few lose ends left to tie up. Almost every death eater was terrified of Sirius and had gone into hiding. It was only a matter of time before they were caught as well. "I think I'll call it a night," he said to Sirius who was also reading something. "Okay. Goodnight, baby brother. Make sure you have your blankie with you, Reggie."

Rolling his eyes, he went up the stairs and passed Sirius' room and stopped in front of Harry's. Over the past month, he'd grown to care for the lad a great deal. Somehow, his brother's son had managed to wriggle his way into Regulus' heart. He found himself developing the same protective instincts that Sirius had when it came to the boy.

He frowned slightly when he noticed the light was on. Not a bright one but the sort that was emitted from a wand. He opened the door, right in time to see the light go off. He smirked and shook his head fondly. "Couldn't sleep?" He asked, coming in. The boy knew he'd been caught and opened his eyes. He sat up and gave Regulus a guilty smile.

Harry looked innocently at Regulus and shrugged. His father would've asked a similar question,but unlike Sirius, Harry found that it was easier to talk his way out of trouble with Regulus. The man was too soft. While Sirius was the father, Regulus was more like the fun uncle. The get-out-of-trouble-card. While the word 'uncle' had previously made Harry shudder, it didn't affect him now. He was finally starting to learn what an uncle was actually supposed to be like.

"The comic was interesting." He admitted sheepishly, pulling out the thin boom from underneath his pillow.

"You're supposed to be asleep, kiddo." The man said, ruffling Harry's hair. "Fine, I'll go to bed. For real." He added, when he saw Regulus' amused smile. Regulus accepted the comic that Harry handed over. The boy placed his glasses on the nightstand and snuggled in.

"Goodnight, Uncle Reg. Love you."

Smiling affectionately at the teenager, he drew the comforter over him. "I love you too, kiddo."

He closed the door and saw his brother coming up the stairs. "Uncle Reg huh?" Sirius asked as his lips quirked upward slightly. Smiling goofily, the younger man nodded. "Yeah. I think I'll hold onto that title."

"You do that." Regulus went to his own room leaving Sirius standing in the hallway. The man cast one last look at his pup and was comforted at the sight of his son safely tucked in.

Family indeed.

* * *

 **So, our Harry is finally a teenager. More of Draco coming up in the next chapter. I don't know when I'll update next since I'm really busy. But I'll certainly try.**

 **So Regulus has been promoted to the status 'uncle' and he's going to be the greatest uncle ever. The twins know! That was fun to write as well. So tell me how you feel about this chapter.**

 **Once again, I'm truly sorry about the long wait and a huge thank you to those who thought it was worth it.**


	36. Chapter 35: Of Odd Friendships

"Is he alright?" Regulus asked, his voice laced with a bit of concern as he spoke to his cousin over the floo. "He's exhausted and seems a little warm. But, other than that, he is okay. I don't think he'll be able to attend his lessons for the next three days or so." Narcissa replied, her own features tight with worry. "Thats alright, Narcissa. How did he fall ill?"

"I don't know, Regulus. He was fine yesterday morning. It was only in the evening did he start feeling a little unwell." She said. "Mmhm. Well, I hope he gets better soon. Is it alright with you if I pay him a visit? Even Sirius?"

"Yes, its perfectly fine." She said and they ended the call. Although the Black brothers and Narcissa had never been on good terms, they were trying to be civil for Draco's sake. And they were clearly making progress. Narcissa had stopped casting condescending looks at the two of them and altered her tone as well.

Regulus went back to the dining room where Sirius and Harry were having breakfast. Joining them, he loaded his plate with some food and turned to his brother. He knew that Sirius had heard him since the living and dining rooms were adjacent to each other.

"I think I'll go and see him later in the afternoon." He said. "Okay. I'll try and if come as well. Because if there's one thing I know well is that children tend to get absolutely miserable when they're ill. Right Harry?"

"Hey! I was never miserable." Harry protested. "Sure you weren't. You were simply bubbling with energy. Anyway, what's your plan for the day?" The man asked. "Actually, Hermione, Ron and I were thinking of going to Hogsmeade today. I wanted to ask you yesterday but it slipped my mind. Can we go?"

While those pleading green eyes instantly melted Regulus, Sirius had become a master at resisting that face. But since it was the summer, he relented. "By yourselves? I don't have any issues with you going, but be careful. Don't wand—" No sooner had the words left his mouth than he found himself with an armful of boy. "Thank you!"

"Harry, I'm not finished." But the excited pup had already left the table to floo call his best mate.

Half an hour later, Sirius had finally gotten Harry to listen. "Don't wander off, have fun and most importantly, stay safe. Is that clear?" He raised an eyebrow at his son, doing his best to look stern but failing to do so. "Yes, sir." Harry puffed his chest out and gave Sirius a mock salute. "Can I go now or do you need to continue your overprotective super-dad talk?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"Careful, kiddo or I might just change my mind." He said. Laughing, Harry gave his father a hug, said goodbye to the two brothers and was off for the day. After that, both Sirius and Regulus also left for work.

* * *

"Darling, Sirius and Regulus are here to see you." Draco heard his mother's announcement and was surprised by the joy that shot through him. "Hey kiddo." Regulus' familiar greeting only made him smile wider. He immediately closed the book that he'd been reading and tucked it away.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked, slightly concerned."I'm bored and bored and bored." He grumbled. His own father had never bothered about him even when he'd been sick. This had made him overplay things just to gain the man's attention. It had never worked. This time, he was plain honest.

"I know, Draco. Don't worry though. You'll be back to normal in a few days." Said Sirius. "What happened anyway?" Regulus inquired. The man placed a hand on Draco's forehead, checking him. "Well, you are a bit warm, mate. A mild fever I suppose. You look a little down as well."

The concern and worry stirred something odd inside him and he felt that familiar lump in his throat. He shoved it down and shrugged. "I don't know. I think the food must've had something in it." He said.

"So anyway, once you get better, I have a whole new set of spells for us to work on." Regulus said, grinning excitedly. He couldn't wait. "He can try them all out once he gets better. For now, he could do with some rest." Narcissa's voice came from the door.

"Yes, Mother. I will lie here until I'm bored to death. Happy?" Draco inquired, rolling his eyes. The woman suppressed a smile before telling him to rest.

After a while, Sirius stood up. "I need to get going. Got to get back and make sure the men aren't slacking off." He said with a grin. "Ah yes. Boss mode on. I think I'll stay a while." Said Regulus. "Is that okay with you, mate or do you need to sleep?"

"No, stay. Or the boredom will drive me insane." Draco replied. Sirius didn't miss the way the boy's eyes lit up when Regulus had decided to stay. Those two were definitely growing on each other. "Okay. Get well real soon, kiddo."

"Will do, Sirius. I don't think I can stand my mother's hovering any longer." He said. The man laughed and left.

Draco would never admit it but he was secretly elated when Regulus had decided to stay. The man needn't have stayed, but he had. Because he wanted to. His father had never been concerned. As long as he didn't get in the way, it was okay.

"So, what do you do after training? It's a big house, surely, you would have to do something to keep yourself from going crazy." Regulus remarked casually as he settled down more comfortably. Draco shrugged, not really sure what to say. He didn't do anything much.

"I don't know. Blaise, my best friend, comes home every two days or so." The boy replied. He suddenly felt embarrassed. Other than Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, there was no one else who was his friend. "Mmhm. Sirius mentioned two other boys; Crabbe and Goyle. And Harry said something about this girl, Poppy or something?"

Draco stifled a groan at the mention of this 'girl'. "Pansy." He corrected. "She won't leave me alone. She's the epitome of annoyance." He said. "I don't usually see Crabbe and Goyle over the summer." He admitted. It felt great to a light conversation with someone. "Annoying is she? Trust me, I've dealt with my share of annoying girls, even Sirius has." Regulus said, chuckling slightly at a particular memory.

"So, Sirius also tells me you're on the Quidditch team? Seeker? Now that's brilliant, kiddo. I didn't make the school team until third year." Draco inwardly winced when he heard the hint of pride in Regulus' voice. He didn't deserve it. "Was." He admitted quietly, dropping his gaze. "I'm sorry?"

"I was on the school team. I quit." It was true. About a week ago, he had written to Marcus Flint, Slytherin Quidditch captain and had resigned from the team. "What? Why in the world would you do that, Draco?" Regulus was confused as well as surprised.

Now for the hard part. "The seeker's spot; I didn't— I didn't earn it. My father bought me a place on the team. He sort of bribed the entire team with the Nimbus 2001." He took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue. "And the worst part is, I never said anything. I just wanted to be on the team so desperately. I let him do what he wanted." Shame washed over him when he confessed.

He didn't know why he had said all this to Regulus but he just had. When the Granger girl had said that everyone else was on the team because of their own talent, the words had cut deep. So, he had lashed out at her.

He watched Regulus carefully, trying to read the man's expression. "Kiddo, no one blames you for wanting to be a part of the team. Nearly every student dreams of playing for their house. You can't blame yourself for Lucius' actions. They were in no way your fault."

"He was disappointed, Regulus." He said. He still remembered the aftermath of his first Quidditch game. His father had been livid with him. The verbal lashing he had received that day had kept him awake for several nights.

"Then he is an idiot who didn't know what a brilliant son he has. If he had half a brain, he would have been bloody proud of you. I know I'm proud of you." The words warmed Draco more than he could have imagined.

"Tell you what, the Quidditch trials come up this year, you try out. When you make the team, you and I will go somewhere to celebrate. How's that sound, mate?" It hadn't escaped Draco's notice that Regulus had said _when_ and not _if._

"It sounds brilliant." He said, hoping that he sounded stronger than he felt. "Great. Now, you get well soon and I'll see you in three days or so. Okay?" Regulus said, staring at his watch. "I will."

"Awesome. Get better, kiddo. Take care." Regulus moved to leave but after only a moment's hesitation, he reached out and squeezed Draco's shoulder warmly. "Bye, Draco."

* * *

 _Three days later:_

"That's it, you're doing wonderfully well, Draco. Just hold it a little longer. Can you do that?" Sirius asked as he observed Draco's performance with a pleased smile. Small beads of perspiration had gathered on the blonde's forehead, but other than that, he was fine. The boy nodded and focussed on the spell. They had just started practicing representational magic. Nothing dark of course, but it was a little taxing.

Once complete, Draco lowered his arms and turned to Sirius. "I want to do another one." He eagerly said. "Absolutely not. You've just gotten better and too much of magic in one day can cause exhaustion. I don't want you to pass out the moment you get home. Tomorrow, we can try some more."

Draco groaned but he didn't argue. He was starting to learn that Sirius had a firm mind. It was nearly impossible to convince him otherwise once his mind was made up. "Alright. But we'll try it tomorrow. You've promised." He stated, grinning slightly.

"Yes, kiddo. Tomorrow. Now run along." Draco gave Sirius a backhanded wave and went up the stairs.

He was just about to floo home when he decided to go meet Regulus. Sirius had said that the other man was in his study, working on some cases. A week ago, he'd been given a tour of the house and had been duly impressed. He arrived at the study where he saw Regulus at the desk, going through many parchments. Although the door was wide open, he knocked nonetheless.

The man looked up and his face broke into a genuine smile. "Hey, mate. Great to see you. Come on in. I was just going to come down and say hi. So, how was training?" It was a simple question and yet, it made Draco smile. He was doing a lot of that these days. Smiling. "It was interesting alright." He replied, sitting down.

"So, you done with your holiday homework?" Regulus asked. "Yeah, finished it long ago." He'd done it as another attempt to gain his father's acknowledgment but like all others, it had failed. "That's brilliant, kiddo. I never did my homework until the last week before school."

A little later, Draco stood up. "I think I must go. I told Zabini he could come over and mother won't be happy if he gets there before me." There was no particular reason on his part to meet the man. He just liked being around him. No matter what happened, Regulus never judged Draco.

After the boy left, Regulus was about to pull out another case when: "DAD! This book is trying to kill me!" The shout was loud enough to be heard all the way from the library.

* * *

Harry struggled to climb up as the huge book came at him, the pages snapping together like jaws. He's already lost one of his shoes and very nearly his foot. He's tried to run out, but it hadn't worked. He had come down here to pick up some books for his Herbology essay but then he'd accidentally opened this one instead. _The Monster Book of Monsters._ It really was a monster.

He was currently standing on top of the table, throwing random books at it, hoping to 'knock the book out.' But so far, he'd knocked over two chairs, another table, a shelf full of books and managed to crack his glasses. The book had almost bitten his hand off.

The library was a total mess. His father was going to kill him. String him upside down by his ankles and feed him stale broth for a week. Sirius was going to be furious. But, this wasn't his fault. He picked up another thick encyclopaedia and threw it at the monster. His aim was horrible. It hit the vase on the mantelpiece above the fireplace.

Last resort: "DAD! This book is trying to kill me!" He threw the first object he could lay his hands on—a candlestick— at the book, hoping that the heavy metal could slow it down. Like an idiot, he had forgotten his wand in his room —not that his wand would've helped— so now, he had been defeated by a book. A man-eating book but a bunch of bound pages nonetheless.

"Pup? What are you—" Harry then saw his father come inside. The man noticed the mess, the book which was snapping towards him and his son standing on the table with a thick leather bound journal in one hand and in his other hand, he held his... shoe? The boy's eyes were wide and the man found the look on his pup's face totally adorable. Sirius shoved his hand out and froze the book in place. Easy.

The library was super messy. "Harry, what in the name of Merlin are you doing?" He swallowed his amusement and levelled the boy with a stern look. He only hoped his eyes didn't give him away. "Er... thanks for rescuing me?" Harry put on his one shoe and got off the table.

"That book was trying to devour me. I had to save myself." Even as he said it, Harry felt like an idiot. "What were you sound here in the first place? You rarely come into the library." Sirius said as he gently pulled Harry's broken glasses off his face, repaired it and slipped it back on. "Homework." The boy mumbled.

Sirius summoned the book and raised an eyebrow when Harry glared at the book and took a step back. _The Monster Book of Monsters._ "This is a different kind of a book, Harry. You're supposed to sort of lightly stoke it before you open it. And why did you pull its belt off?"

"The belt was covering the title." Harry replied sheepishly. "Harry James, the library is completely thrashed. If you start now, you'll probably be able to finish it before lunch." Sirius shrugged casually, expertly hiding his grin.

Harry's jaw dropped and he stared at the man disbelievingly. He'd definitely expected some sort of consequences but to clean the whole place? Absolute nightmare. "You want _me_ to clean this? Dad, you've got to be joking. I'm the victim, here. That book assaulted me." Harry protested. "It even took my shoe!"

"I can see that. I'm surprised you managed to save your clothes." Sirius smirked. That's when Harry noticed the playful gleam in his father's eyes. "You're not angry?" He asked. Sirius finally dropped the act. "How can I be? This is just hilarious, kiddo. If you're going to do this every time, I think I'll start locking you up in the library. Oh and the look on your face! Priceless!"

Sirius burst out laughing, unable to hold it back any longer. He then set the entire place back in order with a single wave of his wand. The books rearranged themselves correctly, the table was righted and returned to its original position, the chairs went back to their respective places, the vase was restored along with the candlestick and even Harry's shoe came hopping back to him.

Magic never failed to impress Harry. He watch with undisguised awe as the room returned to its former state. Sirius inclined his head towards the door. "Come on, you little scamp, let's get out of here before you break anything else."

Harry watched his father walk out and followed him. Grinning mischievously, he broke into a run, jumped onto Sirius' back and insisted that the man should give him a piggyback ride to his room. Smiling fondly at the boy in his arms, Sirius did so without complaint.

* * *

"Potter, you're being dramatic. It's highly annoying so I suggest that you shut up." Draco said, trying to focus on the book in his hand. He really didn't want to listen to how the other boy nearly got killed by a book. "I'm not being dramatic, Malfoy. It really tried to bite my foot off. I'm lucky to have survived."

Draco smirked and shook his head. Over the past few days, the two boys had managed to develop an odd sort of friendship. They still argued sometimes, but that hatred was gone. Harry found that without the arrogance and snobbishness, Draco was actually a decent person, while Draco had realised that it was easy to get along with Potter once he let go of his jealousy and anger.

While they weren't best friends, you certainly couldn't call them enemies anymore. "How fortunate for you, Potter." Draco replied, smiling wryly.

"What are you still doing here anyway? Your training ended an hour ago, Malfoy." The question didn't contain any spite. "I'm avoiding my mother. She wants me to go with her to visit some old lady."  
Draco replied, not taking his eyes off the book. "But wh—"

"Potter, if you don't stop asking questions, I will break your jaw." Draco snapped, losing patience. Harry however, appeared least bothered by the outburst. "Jeez, wonder what's gotten your wand into a knot." Harry suddenly got up and pulled the book out of Malfoy's hands.

"Bloody hell, Potter give me—"

"Oh shut it. You're in my house, so I call the shots. I happen to be incredibly bored right now and I wish to do something other than watch you read. Come on, let's go play some Quidditch before I die of boredom." Harry said, grinning widely. "We'll get my Dad and Uncle Reg to join in."

"I don't have a bloody broom Po—"

"You can borrow one of ours. We've got loads of them. Now come on." Draco decided to accept Potter's invitation after all. He could do with some Quidditch. He put on an expression of great reluctance and acquiesced, although he was glad that the other boy had offered. "Fine, lets go."

"Brilliant. Now get off your behind and come on." Rolling his eyes at Potter's energy, Draco stood.

"Oh and Malfoy, watch the language, or my father will hear about this," said Harry with a mischievous smirk.

Draco was shocked for a second before he let out a small but genuine laugh and followed Harry out of the room.

* * *

 **How was it? Harry and Draco are finally friends! I was so happy when I wrote this. I know it's taking me longer to update, but a million thanks to you guys for being so incredibly patient and wonderful.**


	37. Chapter 36: Of Two Boys

"For the last time, Potter, NO!" Draco snapped, seconds away from punching Harry. "But why not? I can't do it, okay? I've tried, Malfoy. Why can't you just do it for me?" Harry asked for probably the fifth time. His potions essay was still incomplete. He'd done only two out of the required five feet. He knew that Malfoy was good at potions. It was perhaps the only class in which Hermione wasn't at the top.

"Malfoy, please, why can't you do it?" The chess between them had been completely forgotten about. "Because, it's not my homework, you idiot. I've already done mine." The blonde replied.

"That brilliant! I'll just copy yours!" Harry said, looking pleased with his idea. Draco fixed Harry with a cold glare. "Potter, what on earth makes you think that I'll allow you to carry forward with this idea of yours?"

Harry's shoulders sagged slightly. "Here I thought we were getting along. But you're not even willing to help me with some homework! That's what friends are supposed to do, Malfoy." He hid his grin and put on his best pitiful expression. "Please, just help me out this one time." Harry knew that they were starting to become friends and what kind of friend would he be if he didn't use that to his advantage?

He heard the other boy sigh, visibly annoyed. That's when he knew he'd won. He had far too much practice against Hermione to lose this game. _5...4...3...2...1... and:_ "Fine, this one bloody time."

"Now go get your books, Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes at the order. Someone was clearly very bossy. "Of course, Your Highness. Might I be so bold as to suggest that we move to the library? Or is it too much work for His Lordship?" He sarcastically asked, bowing low.

"Just come on," said Draco. "Get your books and come to the library. Be quick about it. I haven't got all day." Harry wanted to point out that it had been Draco's idea to stay back and play chess after training. But he didn't say that. "Certainly, Your Royal Bossiness."

In the library, they settled down far away from the Monster Book of Monsters. Harry wasn't willing to risk it again. "Here," he said, pushing his parchment towards Draco. The blonde shoved it back towards him. "I'm not doing it for you, Potter. I'll help you out. That was the deal, in case you're forgetting.

Harry groaned but didn't say anything. Something was better than nothing at all. For the next three hours, they worked on the essay together. Harry had to admit, Draco was exceptionally good at potions.

"So what will you do once the term begins?" Harry asked, as he wrote down the characteristics of the shrinking potion. "What do you mean, Potter?" Draco inquired, not looking up from the book he was reading. "I mean that news of your father's... confinement made headlines weeks ago. People will talk, won't they. So what do you plan to do?"

Draco out the book down and glared at Harry. "You, Potter are the most tactless person I've ever come across." When Harry was unperturbed, he turned his gaze away and shrugged. "I don't know. They'll talk, that's for sure. But there are a few who don't care. Blaise doesn't think any differently, nor does Theodore. People can talk for all I care." He said.

Harry didn't ask anymore questions about it because it was obviously a sensitive topic.

Twenty minutes later, Harry pumped his fist in the air and slammed his textbook shut. "Yes! I've done it!" He exclaimed, barely restraining himself from doing a little victory dance. "You're welcome, Scarhead." Draco commented sarcastically, looking slightly amused.

"Right, sorry. Thank you," Harry said, grinning at Draco. "And don't call me that," he added.

* * *

Why did that stupid ball have to take place in the middle of his summer vacations? More importantly, why did Sirius have to attend it? _Because he's one of the senior most aurors in the department_. The ball was more of a gathering. Important dignitaries from different nations, Senior Aurors, reporters and journalists.

A meeting had been held a week ago among several countries and new decisions and ideas had been implemented to further decrease the number of free death eaters in the subcontinent. They needed to revise the security system.

Now, while Harry was proud that Sirius occupied such a high post in the ministry, he was still bored.

"Am I seriously such bad company? You look like you're ready to pull your hair out." He laughed at Regulus' statement.

"Of course not, Uncle Reg. I'm just mighty bored. Ron's grounded, Hermione is visiting relatives and Draco won't be back from Zabini's till four." Harry complained, burying his face into the photo album he'd been going through. Regulus rolled his eyes and gently pulled the album from Harry's grasp.

"Let me take a look at that. I've not seen a single picture of baby Harry," he said. "Hey no, give it back! They're embarrassing!" Harry tried to reach for it but Regulus was much taller.

"No can do, kiddo. I'm having too much fun right now to listen to you. Oh look at this one, biting a rattle. Hungry?" He flipped through a few more pictures, dancing out of Harry's reach. "Gosh kiddo, if I didn't know better, I'd say that you hated wearing clothes. In all these pictures, there's nothing on you other than a diaper. See this one! You've finally shed it all and donned your birthday suit."

Harry was red in the face. He'd previously thought that his father was embarrassing; but his Uncle Reg was even more so. "You're trying to bite the cat's tail and Potter is pulling you away. Look at this one, Sirius is trying to give you a ba—"

"Uncle Reg, if you don't stop embarrassing me, I won't talk to you for a week!" Harry threatened, although the tears of laughter on his cheeks said otherwise. He had been chasing Regulus around the living room all the while. "No you won't. You wouldn't last two days without your favourite uncle to keep you company. Ah, here's another one."

Harry tried to in vain to get that photo album out of Regulus' grasp but at the end of fifteen minutes, the man had managed to look at and tease Harry for every single picture. Exhausted, the two of them flopped down on the sofa, laughing. "You are pure evil."

"No, I'm Regulus. And you are?"

Harry rolled his eyes at the man's antics. Regulus stared at the picture in his hand and smiled. "Merlin, kiddo! You were tiny!"

"I wasn't. Besides, I'm nearly as tall as Dad now," Harry said and by doing so, he'd exceeded the limit of exaggeration. "That's nonsense, mate. You barely come up to Sirius' shoulder." Harry opened his mouth to protest but closed it immediately. The man was right.

"Besides, it doesn't matter if you're all grown up. Sirius will still see you as his little boy. Nothing's going to change that. He'll still call you embarrassing names and tell your friends about the stupid things you did as a 's how _most_ fathers are." The emphasis on the word 'most' wasn't lost on Harry. He chose not to say anything about it.

"Tell you what, its almost three now; so in about an hour, Draco should be back from his friend's place. Why don't you ask him to come over? Perhaps, if his mother's alright with it, he can stay the night. The two of you could stay up late and do stuff." The two boys had been getting along fabulously over there last few days and Regulus saw no harm in letting them have fun together.

"Sounds good," Harry replied, looking forward to the idea.

* * *

"Honestly Harry, do you wish to live in a pigsty?" Those were the first words by Draco when he stepped into Harry's room. "It looks like some unfortunate calamity took place here. An earthquake? An avalanche? Or is this simply your style?"

Harry turned red when Draco commented about the state of his room. Although the other boy was amused, his words were totally true. His room was an utter mess. That morning, he'd misplaced something and had turned his room upside down, looking for it.

"Very funny, Draco," he snapped, hurriedly moving forward to clear his bed. While the two of them were presently on a first name basis, Draco occasionally tended to switch to 'Potter.'

Harry soon discovered that Draco was remarkable at chess. They'd played three games and Harry had lost all three of them in less than half an hour. "You and Ron need to play at least once. He's great at chess too. Or my Dad," Harry suggested. He for one was terrible at it. The only person he'd won against was Seamus and that was only once.

"Weasley is an annoying git," Draco said, his voice filled with disgust. "No he isn't. You don't even know him. You both spent the last two years insulting each other at every instance. Try to get along," Harry insisted. He couldn't survive the entire year if Ron and Draco wouldn't stop fighting.

Harry knew that Hermione would be sensible enough to actually see the change in Draco. Ron, on the other hand would be a whole lot harder. "Harry, I don't need to know him. He's loud, obnoxious and his table manners are appalling." Harry couldn't deny the last one. "Worse than yours. You both eat like barn animals," Draco sounded amused, not spiteful at all.

"Draco, you're sounding a lot like Hermione right now." The blonde rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Just then, Dobby appeared with a pop, holding a tray full of snacks and pumpkin juice for the two boys. "Thank you, Dobby," Harry smiled at the elf and took the tray.

"Harry Potter is very welcome." The elf smiled hopefully at Draco as well. "Thanks, Dobby," he gave the house elf a smile. Positively delighted, Dobby disappeared quickly.

Harry hoped that Dobby had added the necessary ingredient into the pumpkin juice. The elf didn't know what the secret ingredient did. This was going to be so much fun. Innocently, he took a bite from his sandwich and pretended to down his glass of juice.

He watched with hidden glee as the other boy picked up his glass and took a sip. If this worked, he would give Fred and George Weasley a Hagrid-sized hug. While not a prankster, Harry couldn't resist the idea of playing a harmless trick on Draco. It was very simple but it was bound to annoy Draco to no end.

He barely suppressed an excited cry as Draco's hair colour began to change. It would stay that way for two whole days. It took all his might to not burst out laughing at the sight before him.

A little later, Draco got up to use the bathroom. He'd take a look in the mirror and: There was a shocked exclamation from inside and the door abruptly opened to reveal one furious, pink haired Draco Malfoy.

It was comical to see him in his immaculate outfit and bubblegum coloured hair and eyebrows.

"POTTER! YOU BLOODY LITTLE IDIOT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Still grinning like a maniac, Harry rushed out of his room, Draco hot on his heels.

* * *

The ballroom was truly magnificent. The flower decoration, the drapes, the food; everything was spot on. Sirius hadn't expected the party to be this good. There was a band playing an array of songs, both muggle and magical. Several people waltzed across the dance floor with their partners.

Sirius set his glass of champagne down on the counter and smiled politely at yet another ministry official who came to congratulate him. He shook the man's hand and thanked him as the portly fellow went his way.

Why was everyone congratulating him? He had just been promoted to the position of Head Auror. That's right. Sirius Orion Black was currently the youngest wizard to hold that office in Wizarding history. It had been one of the decisions taken by the several officials including Scrimgeour. While he had been surprised, he was also immensely happy.

He'd even danced with a few witches and engaged in many a charming conversation.

It was nearly seven o'clock now so he hoped that both Draco and Harry hadn't murdered each other and that his brother's sanity was still in one piece. Those two were the oddest pair of friends but he was glad that they were friends. Regulus had fire called him earlier, telling him that Narcissa had agreed to let her son spend the night at Black Manor. Sirius had warned his brother to make sure that the two boys wouldn't destroy the house.

Since he hadn't received a call, he thought it would be safe to conclude that everything was going smoothly.

Sirius spent some more time mingling with the crowd and answering certain questions from the reporters and journalists who'd turned up, eager for their breakthrough. Once he'd had enough of being photographed and questioned, he decided to head home.

He was just about to floo home when another set of reporters all but ambushed him with their cameras and questions.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

Regulus didn't know whether to laugh or try and keep the two lads from tearing each other apart. "Potter you insufferable little twit! Just look at what you did to my hair!"

Laughing silently, Regulus quietly conjured a camera and snapped a good number of pictures. These would prove highly useful for future blackmail.

Harry barely escaped from the young, angry Malfoy and climbed over the sofa, running across the furniture. He looked at his Uncle Reg for help but the man was too busy cracking up to help him. The prank had been totally worth it. The image of a pink haired Malfoy would forever be ingrained in his memory.

"You know what, run all you like, Potter. I'm going to bed. I refuse to associate with someone that displays such immature and childish behaviour." Harry stopped and groaned. Why did Draco have to be so stuffy?

"Oh for Merlin's sake, stop being such a drama queen, Draco," Harry said, doing a fair impression of Sirius. "It was a harmless joke! It'll wear off in two days or so."

"Two days! You expect me to go around like this for two whole days?"

"Oh come on! It was a joke!" Harry repeated, throwing his hands in exasperation although he was having a hard time talking to the other boy without laughing. "What do you want me to do? Colour my own hair pink? Will that make you happy?"

Harry regretted his words immediately when he saw Draco's lips curl into a smirk. "Actually, Harry, that's exactly what I want you to do."

Before Harry knew it, Draco had wandlessly summoned that glass of pumpkin juice and held it out to Harry. "Go on."

Five minutes later, two pink haired boys went back upstairs, perfectly amicable and the last twenty minutes or so were forgotten.

It was nearly eleven o'clock by the time Sirius apparated back home. He found Regulus in an armchair, reading a book. "You're alive and seemingly sane. Shall I assume that the two boys are also in one piece?" He jokingly inquired.

"Let's just say the situation is now under control. They're both in Harry's room, doing Merlin knows what," Regulus replied, still grinning. "What happened?"

"Why don't you just go upstairs and take a look? I have a feeling you'll hear two very interesting versions of the same story." Sirius chuckled and went upstairs.

He first went to his own room and straight into the shower. He felt less tired once he was done. He changed into more comfortable clothes and made his way to Harry's room. He paused in front of the open door and raised a surprised eyebrow.

He was greeted by two pink coloured heads bent over some game they were playing. Definitely not what he'd expected. It was hilarious. "So, care to tell me what inspired such a bold and funky fashion statement? What's next? Lip piercings?"

Both of them turned around when they head Sirius. "Hi, Dad. We just thought it's necessary to keep up with the times. Right, Draco?" Harry looked at the other boy for agreement. "Whatever you say, Harry. Although I personally prefer sticking to the original version. This _modern_ style is a bit too wild for my tastes."

"It's looks ridiculous, even more than this ridiculous game. What's it called again? Tri-poly? Can't believe the muggles actually do this in their free time."

"Its Monopoly, you dolt and no, it's not ridiculous; it's brilliant," Harry defended. He'd always loved this game as a young child although he had never been allowed to play it. He didn't care that he was probably a little too old to be playing board games.

Sirius watched their exchange fondly. It was heartening to see them become fast friends. He figured Draco could use a friend like Harry and vice versa. "Have fun you two, stay up a bit more if you like. I'm going to bed now. Goodnight, boys."

"Night, Sirius," said Draco.

Harry however got up and followed his dad out of the room after telling Draco he'd be back. "Yes, Harry?"

Sirius stopped in the corridor and turned around to smile at the lad. The boy merely threw his arms around him and hugged the life out of him. "Congratulations, Dad," Harry said. "Uncle Reg told me about your promotion. You deserve it." Sirius wrapped his arms around his boy. "Thanks, pup."

"Now, go and play some tri-poly with Draco." Laughing, Harry went back to his own room and Sirius went to his.

It was only well after two that Harry finally curled up in bed and Draco half stumbled into the guest room next door. It look less than five minutes for both of them to fall asleep.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Sirius' voice sounded deadly and if Cornelius Fudge had even the slightest bit of common sense, he would have shut up immediately. The other officials in the room exchanged nervous glances as they fell into an uneasy silence. The minister flinched at the frostiness in the younger man's voice but wasn't deterred.

"Sirius, pl—"

"Black," Sirius corrected sharply. "We're not familiars, minister." Regulus laced his fingers and settled more comfortably into his chair as he watched the scene unfold with amusement. He knew that Sirius would obviously win this particular discussion. But the fact that Fudge had been brave enough to even dare to say something like that to Sirius— the old bloke definitely deserved some credit. Something akin to a good, tight slap across the face.

"Right. Forgive me, Auror Black. But, it's imperative that we make this arrangement. The students' safety is our top prio—"

"Oh and you think stationing dementors around the premises will assure that? I dare say your facts are severely jumbled up if you are assuming that those filthy, soul-sucking creatures will protect the students. Hogwarts is safe. There is no necessity for any additional aid. I don't know why you feel there is a need for extra precautions. On the contrary, the crime rate has gone down." The fat old man didn't know a thing. Dressed in a purple pinstriped suit with a parrot green tie, Cornelius Fudge was easily one of the most idiotic people Sirius had ever met.

His hands were itching to hex the old codger until he was unrecognisable. How dare he even suggest something so utterly absurd! Dementors at Hogwarts? Outrageous!

"Minister, perhaps you should reconsid—" Amelia Bones, who was sitting to his right tried to make him see sense but he silenced her. But, Amelia. It's for the benefit of the stude—"

"Trust me, Fudge, there is nothing remotely beneficial about having Dementors patrol the grounds. Not for students, not for anybody. We've discussed security and safety the other day. The topic 'Dementors' was never brought up. I don't see the need for it to make an appearance now." Sirius didn't yell, he didn't have to. The steel in his words was far more dangerous.

"The. Dementors. Are. Not. Allowed. Have I made myself clear?" Fudge sputtered indignantly at the way he was cut off. He was the minister! People weren't supposed to address him so rudely! He would be having a word with his advisors. Why did they offer such suggestions? Not only had he been snubbed but also insulted, albeit indirectly. "But... this is...very well. As you say."

"But, it is imperative that the students at Hogwarts are safe." Sirius wanted to roll his eyes at the patronising tone. He had a feeling that Fudge's sudden inclination towards safety had more to do with the upcoming elections than anything else.

"Well, since you are so concerned for the students' safety, I'm sure I can make certain arrangements. But, the dementors will remain in Azkaban." Sirius had his mind made up. He did not want those vile creatures anywhere near Harry.

The meeting lasted for another fifteen minutes after which the various members dispersed. Sirius was just conversing with another auror, giving her some instructions when Fudge came up to him. Sirius resisted the urge to walk in the opposite direction. He'd dealt with his share of nonsense for the day. "Auror Black, I do hope that you understand that I only want what's best for Hogwarts." Yeah right.

"And I want wants best for Harry," he replied evenly. "Of course, I understand. You seem to be quite protective of young Mr. Potter."

"Oh I am. So much so in fact, that if anyone tries to harm him in any way, I'll destroy everything they hold dear. Have a wonderful day, minister."

And with that, Sirius walked away without another glance.


	38. Chapter 37: Partnes In Crime

"I'll admit, I was more than a little surprised when I received your invitation," Sirius told his cousin as the house elf poured them both some tea. Narcissa merely smiled at him slightly.

"I actually have been wanting to talk to you. I owe you an apology for the way I've acted all these years." He definitely wasn't expecting that. Sirius was taken aback by the genuineness in her words. While he'd been getting along fairly well with his cousin, never in a million years had he expected her to accept her mistakes. She sounded so humble and that was so completely unlike Narcissa.

"I'm truly sorry for everything, Sirius. I won't make any excuses for my behaviour. All I can say is that it was unacceptable." She paused and took a deep breath. It was only then that Sirius realised how hard this was for her. He decided to hear her out without any mocking. "I was wrong. Only recently did I realise that."

Sirius could read people well enough to see that Narcissa had just meant every word she'd said. "I'm sure we can put the past behind us." She nodded at him with a small smile. "Thank you."

"Anything else?" He asked, setting his teacup down. Her expression morphed into one of concern. "I couldn't help but notice the changes in Draco's behaviour over the past month." She sighed before adding: "Particularly after Lucius' arrest."

"Meaning?"

"It's a good change, Sirius. I am a little surprised about this. Draco seems a lot more relaxed and I dare say... happier without Lucius around. I can't help but wonder why. I understand that Lucius was demanding and even more than a little harsh at times, but he cared deeply for his son."

Sirius knew exactly why Draco was much more relaxed. It had everything to do with Lucius but he couldn't tell her that. It wasn't his secret to share. "Sirius, I know my Draco very well. If there's something truly bothering him, he'll will still do his best to put on a strong front. He will not talk about it. Lucius taught him from the very beginning to remain stoic at all times. It bothers me far more than I let on. He's still a child and I worry about him."

Sirius could see where this conversation was headed. Narcissa wasn't a stupid person. She was finally starting to put together the pieces. Maybe she was just realising that her husband hadn't been all that honest with her. At least not about their son. Truth was, Lucius Malfoy had been more of a bully than a father to his son.

"This rather sudden but positive change in his behaviour has got me thinking, Sirius. Was Draco afraid of Lucius? If so, then why? Did he ever talk to you about Lucius?"

As far as Narcissa was aware, Draco had been nothing but an obedient and respectful son. But, there had never been much warmth between father and son. They had hardly even talked much. If at all they did, Lucius would call Draco into the study and talk to him. She had forgotten the last time her son had received any sort of encouragement from his father.

It was something that had always bothered her. She had dismissed it after much thought since Lucius had never been the affectionate sort. But, as much as she was glad that Draco was doing better, it troubled her quite a bit to see that her son wasn't even a little upset by his father's absence.

"Narcissa, I won't deny that Draco has mentioned a few things to me as well as Regulus. As much as I agree that you deserve to know, I promised the lad that I wouldn't betray his trust. I'm sorry but I can't tell you. What I can tell you that he's genuinely happier and getting along splendidly with everyone."

She remained silent for a whole minute before speaking again. "You always were loyal, weren't you? I suppose there's no point in me asking any further questions. I will have to talk to Draco about it." Sirius was glad that she hadn't pushed for answers.

"Give him time, Cissy. Like you said, he's still just a child. I won't give you the details, but all I can say is that he's healing. He will talk to you about everything when he's ready. Real soon."

"I only hope so, Sirius. All these years, Lucius insisted that Draco should be brought up the way he himself had grown up. Only now am I starting to realise that it was a big mistake on my part to let him have his way." She had much to discuss with her son. Slowly but surely, her anger towards her husband grew.

What could Lucius have done to her boy? Why would Draco rather talk to two people he only just knew instead of his own mother? While it was majorly Lucius' fault, she was also to blame. Narcissa needed to make things right with her son.

"He looks up to both of you, you know? Thank you for whatever you said to him."

"You're welcome. And don't worry, things will be just fine with Draco."

She believed him. Narcissa knew that her son was strong. She was also about to find out that Draco had a knack for trouble. Especially when a certain raven haired boy was involved.

* * *

"I can't believe they're letting us study all this!" Harry complained as he looked at his new textbooks at Flourish and Blotts. "I know, mate. They look scary." Ron agreed. "You're overreacting, both of you. I went through the fifth year textbooks last year and they are twice as thick." Hermione said, like it was obvious.

"Whatever 'Mione," Ron mumbled. "Who is that?" Hermione asked, subtly pointing to a blonde haired woman Sirius was talking to. "That's Draco's mum, Narcissa Malfoy," Harry replied. "Malfoy? She looks alright. No fangs, claws or anything abnormal," Ron commented.

"Ronald!" Hermione smacked his arm, none too gently. "We've all been over this. We ran into Malfoy the other day, at Harry's house. He was nothing but a perfect gentleman. He even apologised." Hermione scolded the redhead. "To you, not me," the boy replied, rubbing his arm. "Well that's because you were being horrible to him. You really need to get along, mate." Harry insisted. He didn't think he'd survive the whole year if Ron and Draco were always at loggerheads.

"Look, whether you like it or not, Draco's now my friend too. I really want you both to get along. Can't you at least try?" Harry asked; sounding exasperated. There was a tense silence for several seconds before Ron sighed resignedly. "Fine," he dragged the word out. "I'll try. Not because I want to befriend Malfoy or anything but because you two are so insistent. You two are my friends not him. I'm doing this for you, not him." Harry could work with that. "Thanks. That's all I'm asking."

As if on cue, they spotted Draco behind one of the shelves, going through a thick book. "There he is." Ron kept his protests to a minimum as they approached the other boy. The blonde hadn't noticed them and was engrossed in whatever he was reading.

Harry banged him on the back, nearly knocking the book out his hands. Draco was not amused. "What the bloody hell is wro— Harry? Should've known."

Draco then saw Hermione and a less than enthusiastic Ron as well. "Weasley, Granger," he briefly raised his eyebrows in greeting. Hermione gave him a smile while Ron nodded curtly.

"What are you reading?" Hermione asked, trying to get a look at the book's title. "It's some muggle classic. I didn't know this store sold muggle works. It's by this bloke called Charles Dickens. Great Expectations." He replied, glancing up from the book only once or so. "You like muggle books?" Hermione couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice. Draco rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I only recently started reading them. I read my first one at Harry's a few days ago. Muggle authors are pretty decent actually. They're..."

Soon, both Draco and Hermione were engaged in a conversation, leaving Harry and Ron. "Pair of nutters, I tell you," said Harry, fondly shaking his head at the duo. "Never thought Malfoy belonged to the smart lot," Ron admitted grudgingly. "Yeah. On the bright side, there'll be two people to help us 'less scholarly folk' this year." Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, maybe."

After they were done at Flourish and Blotts, the Weasleys had to leave. Harry was bored. The other three decided to hang around in Diagon Alley, look at a couple of shops and stuff. Once the parents had given their consent, Harry innocently held out his hand to Sirius. He'd spent his allowance recently and was currently broke.

When the man only raised an eyebrow at him, Harry looked at his father, conjuring his best puppy-eyes. "Please?" Sirius rolled his eyes but smiled indulgently at the boy and took out a good handful of galleons from his pocket and gave it to Harry. "Happy, you little mongrel?"

"Absolutely." Harry prepared himself for a small talk on safety rules and he wasn't disappointed. "One hour, alright? You are to stay firmly within Diagon Alley and not wander off anywhere else. Once you're done, you and your friends will come and meet us right here, okay? No trouble at all, understood?"

Harry didn't miss the underlying sternness in the man's voice. He get his face redden slightly at the warning. While there was no denying that Sirius was a cool Dad, Harry knew the man well enough to take his words seriously. "Yes, Dad," he replied. "Alright, go on. Have fun you three," said Sirius. The kids needed no further encouragement.

The trio first went to the Quidditch store, much to Hermione's dismay. There, Harry and Draco spent an easy ten minutes fawning over the newest racing broom in the market: The Firebolt. "Just look at it. It's so beautiful, flawless," Harry whispered, clearly awed. "I know. I've never seen anything like it," Draco agreed, equally impressed.

After much difficulty, they tore themselves away from the broom. Harry bought a few magazines from the store and once they were done, they stepped out.

"I can't believe you both can spend so much time gawking at some broom," Hermione shook her head at the boys as they made their way around.

"Granger, it's not just some broom. That's the Firebolt, love. It demands respect." Draco replied, rolling his eyes at her ignorance. "Yeah, Hermione. It's a crime to disregard someth—"

"What's he doing here?" Harry followed Draco's gaze and noticed the man he'd asked about. The blonde was staring at two men quite close to them, who were walking straight ahead, towards the alleyway that led to Knockturn Alley.

Draco's eyes were fixated on the shorter of the two. He was a mean-looking bloke, averagely clothed. His hair was matted and tied into a shabby ponytail at the back of his neck. "Who's that?" Harry asked.

"That's the fellow who'd come home last week. His name's Borgin. He owns this antique shop in Knockturn Alley along with the man next to him, Burke. They sell all sorts of dark and dangerous objects," Draco explained. He was more concerned about their conversation. He'd picked up one word at least three times so far: Malfoy. They were talking about his father.

"So?"

"Borgin came home last week with some parcel. He said it was something he'd been safeguarding for my father but couldn't do so anymore. Said it was too dangerous," Draco said, already following the men discreetly. "My mother turned him away though." They were talking about him and he wanted to know what.

Harry automatically followed, only to be yanked backward by Hermione. "Where do you think you're both going? That's Knockturn Alley! We're not supposed to go there," Hermione chided the other two.

"Those two blokes are talking about me, Granger," Draco said, not stopping. "Do forgive my curiosity." He quickened his pace and was off. "Harry, we can't go in there. If we don't get back in time, our parents will be worried, especially Sirius."

Harry looked at his watch, his mind conflicted. "I'll just go and convince him to come back. Knockturn Alley isn't a safe place. Particularly if a person is alone." Harry replied. "Could you please go back and cover for us? We'll be back real soon." Harry didn't wait for a reply but took off in Draco's direction.

Hermione sighed dejectedly. "Those two idiots," she mumbled. She could do nothing but hope that they didn't get into any trouble.

* * *

Harry caught up with Draco in less than a minute. "What are you doing here!" The blonde whispered harshly the moment he noticed Harry. "We're not supposed to be here, Draco," Harry said. "If my Dad finds out, we're both in for it."

"Of course I bloody know that! Sirius scares me either way. But, I need to know why this Borgin bloke is talking about me. There was a reason he came home. That parcel must've been important because he never delivers anything to the door."

"Besides, it's not like we're in danger or anything. We'll stay right outside his shop and listen in," Draco continued. Harry contemplated Draco's words. He said they weren't endangered. He'd promised Sirius at the very beginning of this summer that he'd stay away from anything dangerous.

So he wasn't breaking any rules... right? He followed Draco further into Knockturn Alley.

Borgin and Burke was a musty old shop located in one of the small lanes of the Alley. The doors and windows were coated with a thick layer of dust from the outside. While Draco gave a disgusted sigh and lightly cleaned a small spot on the window, Harry's mind was worrying.

"Borgin's alright, Harry. I've come here with my father loads of times and he hasn't done anything bad. Just buys and sells stuff. Besides, we're invisible to them."

"What? How?" Harry whispered. "It's a spell Sirius taught me last week. It works like your invisibility cloak. It's tiring but I can hold it for a while longer." Harry was impressed but he would never admit that. They both peered inside the dusty window.

The two men were talking in hushed tones, near one of the counters, very close to the boys. A boy, no older than seventeen sat at a small table on the far end of the shop, writing something.

"I'm telling you, she wouldn't take it back. The Malfoy woman wanted nothing to do with any of her husband's shit. I tried to give it back. She told me to take it and clear off. Threatened to call the aurors, she did." Borgin was talking to his partner, Burke.

Harry was surprised by how clearly they could hear. Then he realised that Draco had more than one spell going. "You brought it back? The aurors were here last month, you fool. We are lucky they didn't find it. I told you doing business with that bastard Malfoy would do no good."

"Of course I didn't bring it back! I sold it off. Don't matter to whom. It's gone, Cal. So you pull your shit together! The aurors can't do anything to us!"

"What more about them Malfoys? What about them?" Asked Burke, unconvinced by his partner's assurances. Borgin opened his mouth but quickly closed it and abruptly turned to the figure in the corner. "Don't want that little nuisance listening to anything." He then raised his voice loudly. "You doing your work, boy? Or do you need some correction like the last time?"

"No, sir, Mr. Borgin, sir," the boy replied, looking afraid. "I'm just doing my work." Seemingly satisfied, Borgin turned back to the other man. "So as I was saying, they want nothing to do with us. Want to pretend like they were never dark."

Harry could see that Draco was tiring from running two spells together. His brows were pulled together into a frown and beads of perspiration had gathered on his forehead. His nose started bleeding from the pressure.

"Why did you go to that house anyway? It's best to stay away from them!" Burke hissed. "Malfoy owed me money. Nine hundred galleons. Couldn't let that go."

Just then, something terrible happened.

Five seconds was all it took. The cloaking spell came down since Draco couldn't take the strain anymore. Burke noticed them immediately.

"Hey! There's someone out there!" For a middle-aged man, he was surprisingly fast. Before Draco could get the spell back on, Burke had both of them by the collar.

Roughly, they were hauled inside. "Mr. Malfoy?" Borgin's voice sounded shocked. His shock turned to anger in less than ten seconds. "What are you doing here, laddie? You know better than to be snooping around other people's business!"

"Who's this with you?" Burke turned to Harry. "What's your name, boy?" Harry thanked his hair for being long enough to cover his scar. "What's it to you?"

"Don't get smart, boy. Little urchins like you need a good hiding to put you in place." Burke snarled, shaking Harry by his collar. "How much did you two hear?" Borgin questioned, looking afraid as well as angry. "Nothing. We were just messing around," Draco replied.

The blonde appeared exhausted. His nose had stopped bleeding but he didn't look any better. "Bullshit!" Burke snapped. "Little liars you are."

"What did you hear?" Borgin was getting anxious but Harry didn't know exactly why. "Leave these two to me. I'll have them talking in no time." Burke smiled and it was a cruel, twisted one.

At that moment, Harry realised he didn't care how much trouble they got into. He just wanted Sirius to come and get them. He may have sounded like a sodding five year old; but he didn't care.

If Burke was as cruel as he looked, they were definitely goners. He hoped Hermione would be smart enough and tell the man.

* * *

Hermione Granger was getting worried. Harry and Draco were supposed to have returned ten minutes ago. She didn't want to rat her friends out but she was equally concerned about their safety. They could be in trouble, or worse.

"Hermione dear, are you ready to leave?" She heard her mother call and sighed. "Just a minute, mum," she replied. She approached Sirius who was standing a little away, looking worried. Draco's mother was there as well. "Sirius, Mrs. Malfoy," she began, feeling like the worst friend in the world. "There's something you need to know."

Sirius listened to the girl, his worry and anger increasing with her every word. He forced it away and nodded reassuringly at Hermione. "Don't worry, I'll find those two. You go on home."

Once Hermione was gone, Sirius and Narcissa followed the road to Knockturn Alley. The blonde woman had to really move quickly in order to keep up with Sirius. "Those two boys. I swear, I'm going to kill them. Running off like that! The nerve of them!"

* * *

"This one isn't looking too good, Cal," Borgin said, pointing to Draco. And he was right. The magic had clearly worn him out. He looked like he'd faint any minute.

"We should probably just let the kids go. They're kids! Who's going to listen to them anyway?" Borgin said. "There's no point in keeping 'em here."

Burke turned to Harry and Draco. "We don't want trouble. So, just to make sure we're all safe and happy, I'm going to wipe your minds and then, you little pests are free to go."

Draco staggered on his feet, nearly losing balance.

Just when Harry thought things had taken a turn for the worse, the door swung open and Sirius walked in, accompanied by Narcissa. His eyes landed on Harry and Draco and relief flooded his face.

"Draco, darling are you alright?" Narcissa's panicked tone broke the momentary silence. Sirius wanted to know what was going on with those men but one look at Draco changed his mind. He'd be back later.

The other two men didn't dare say a word. They were much more focused on getting out of Sirius' sight and making themselves as invisible as possible. "Don't bother hiding. I'll be back soon," he said, not even looking at them.

"Right, let's get out of here." Sirius was in a mood as dark as his name.

Harry exchanged glances with Draco. Both of them agreed on one thing: _we're dead._

* * *

 ** _That's your update. Now, don't hesitate to click that review button. More light will be shed on this mysterious package in the next chapter. Keep reading!_**


	39. Chapter 38: The Parcel

They all went back to Black Manor. "Draco, sit down, you don't look all that good right now." Sirius' words were curt and sharp. The blonde sat down and Sirius waved his hand over him, chanting something under his breath. "What's happened?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

Sirius' expression tightened slightly. He was angry about whatever had happened to Draco. "He exhausted himself. Anymore magic and you could have badly hurt yourself." The second statement was addressed to Draco. The boy was looking everywhere but at Sirius.

"You need to rest. The guestroom is fine, so you'll feel better once you've slept a little. We'll talk later." Harry could've sworn Draco winced at the last line. "Go and get some sleep."

"Yes, sir." It was the first thing Draco had said. Narcissa helped her son off the sofa and up the stairs.

Once those two were upstairs, Sirius turned to Harry. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Anywhere at all?" He asked. "I'm fine, Dad," Harry replied softly. They were silent for a long time. Unlike Sirius, Harry was terrible at bearing the stillness of the house. "Are you mad at us?"

He mentally kicked himself for asking when the only response he received was a raised eyebrow. "Right, sorry. Dumb question."

"I'm already quite furious with you. Explain exactly what happened and if you know what's good for you, you won't lie about it." Harry dropped his gaze at the reprimand and did as he was told. He explained everything to Sirius right from their trip to the Quidditch store to the way Burke had man-handled them.

Once he was done, Sirius didn't appear any calmer. On the contrary, he looked even angrier. Harry knew his father well enough to say that the man would never hit him, no matter how upset he was. But, he mentally braced himself for the verbal lashing coming his way.

He was right.

"What in Merlin's name were you thinking, Harry James? Knockturn Alley? How many times have I told you to stay away from that place?" A large knot had formed in his stomach as Hermione had told him about his son's little foray into Knockturn Alley. And Draco? Over the summer, he'd grown to care for that boy. What were they thinking?

"We didn't think it would be dange—" Harry was cut off almost instantly. "You didn't think? Now why does that not surprise me at all? Coming from you, that's almost become a regular statement." The man shook his head and stood up. "Borgin and Burke aren't good people. Hell, Knockturn Alley itself isn't a good place."

"What was I supposed to do, Dad? I couldn't just let Draco go on his own?" Harry defended. "I'm not applauding what Draco did. He's equally guilty and trust me, he's going to get it when he wakes up. But at this moment, we aren't talking about Draco. I'm concerned about you."

"I don't understand why the two of you had to go near that horrible shop in the first place," Sirius was trying to figure out the entire thing. "We didn't even go inside. We were crouching outside, trying to listen to their conversation."

"Listening to their— Harry, after everything we've discussed?" Sirius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Things could have gone horribly wrong today, young man."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Of course you're not," Sirius' voice hadn't lost its harshness. "As usual, you didn't pause to think about the consequences. You simply rushed into danger. I don't understand what I need to say or do to make sure you stop doing stupid things."

The man was truly upset. Harry hated when Sirius was mad at him. He rarely heard that stern tone from his father, but when he did, he felt two inches tall. "Burke was about to do something nasty, wasn't he?"

"Yes." Harry always hated how small he sounded whenever Sirius was angry. Harry heard his father mutter something that sounded suspiciously like 'that bastard'.

"After the incident in the chamber, I thought you had finally understood the seriousness of risking your life. When you promised me that you'd stop endangering yourself, I thought you meant it. An empty promise. That's all it ever was. Am I right? I used to believe you when you told me that you wouldn't do it again. But now, I'm starting to lose faith in what you say."

Harry wasn't surprised by the tears that welled up in his eyes. The words hurt but they were true. At that time, he's sincerely promised his father that he would never throw himself in harm's way. Today, he'd gone ahead and thoughtlessly broken his word.

Sometimes, he hated himself. He could face Voldemort without fear but a scolding from his father was all it took to reduce him to tears. How many times had he told himself he'd stop worrying the man? Why couldn't he just keep one promise?

Firm fingers took of hold of his chin, tilting his head upwards to meet stormy grey eyes. "I promised myself that I'd keep you safe no matter what, the day I took you in. How am I supposed to keep my promise if you don't keep yours?"

The lump in Harry's throat expanded considerably. He knew that if he opened his mouth, he'd burst into tears. Sirius was rarely this upset. He absolutely loathed the fact that it was he who had hurt the man so much.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I really am, you have to believe me. I never meant for you to worry," Harry said, harshly wiping away his tears. "But I do, Harry. I always worry about you. Your penchant for trouble does nothing to help ease my worries. I've lost a lot of people. I'm not going to let you be one of them. I only recently got you back, Harry. I won't lose you, no matter what."

Harry couldn't take it anymore. He all but lunged at Sirius and locked his arms around the man in a death grip. "I'm sorry. Please, just don't be mad at me. I won't do it again, Dad."

Sirius pulled back and wiped the rest of the boy's tears. Harry currently looked very young indeed. "Never again. This foolishness has to end, Harry. You're never to even think of trying something so idiotic. This has to end. Am I understood?" Sirius sounded very firm. "Yes, sir," he said.

"You're grounded for a week." Harry didn't protest. He knew he'd earned every bit of it. "Your broom stays on the ground for the next two weeks." He'd been hoping to play some Quidditch before term began but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. "Okay," he replied.

He felt miserable but still a little happy that Sirius was no longer furious. "Go to your room for a bit. Try and clean your wardrobe, will you? It's scary in there." Harry knew that the words weren't a request and his shoulders sagged. Whenever he was grounded, Sirius always found some work for him. "Are you still mad at me?" He crossed his fingers behind his back.

"No, not anymore. But you had better not scare me like this ever again." Harry nodded vigorously, grudgingly getting up from his spot and heading up. Halfway up the stairs, Harry paused and turned around. "Dad, are you mad at Draco?"

"More worried than angry." Sirius replied absently, bracing himself for another such conversation. "Draco thinks you're going to kill him." He caught the slight amusement in the boy's voice.

"Trust me, I might do just that."

* * *

Draco awoke nearly two hours later. He opened his eyes to the somewhat familiar ceiling of the guest room at Black Manor. It was then that it all came back to him.

He groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. "You're awake, good. Why don't you try and sit up, dear?" Knowing that he couldn't put it off forever, Draco sat up. "Are you feeling better now?" He nodded in response. Truth be told, he actually did feel much better.

He no longer felt tired or weak. "Are you absolutely sure?" Narcissa asked again. Draco inwardly smiled fondly at his mother and nodded again. "Yes, mother. I'm fine."

"Why? If all the things you could have done?" Her voice was a mixture of worry and anger.

"Draco, you need to understand this clearly: Knockturn Alley is far from safe. Especially not for us. Your father made a lot of enemies in there. You, his son, can't just go there."

"I needed to know why Borgin came home the other day," Draco explained, his tone apologetic. "I don't know about that anymore than you do, Draco. The day Lucius was arrested, I promised myself to keep you away from all that. You're not helping, Draco." She gave him the look that all mothers had perfected.

He felt a stab of guilt when she said that. From a very young age, Draco had never been able to argue with his parents. Today was no different. Unlike his father, his mother had always been quite the affectionate person, just towards him. She could be cold hearted as far as the rest of the world was concerned. So, he wasn't surprised when his mother got up from her chair, sat down on the bed and pulled him into a hug.

"Several people have died in our family because they lost control of the familial magic. I cannot let you be one of them. It's dangerous. You're only just beginning to grasp the seriousness of it. Don't let it control you." For a petite woman, she had a strong hold on him.

"I was so scared, Draco. I've heard about what happened to our ancestors and it terrifies me. You have to be more careful, darling." He felt her shake against him and realised that she was crying. He hugged her tighter, feeling extremely guilty. "I will. I promise."

She pulled back, composed herself and patted his cheek twice. "Good boy." Her voice was a little watery but the tears were gone. She hesitated like she wanted to say something. "Draco, was everything alright between you and Lucius? Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

Silence.

Narcissa sighed, disappointed. She would have to patiently wait for her son to approach her on his own. "Okay. If you need to talk, I'm right here. Sirius wanted to talk to you. I suppose you'll find him downstairs." Draco sighed when he heard that. "Sirius is furious, isn't he?"

"Rightfully so, Draco. You had us all worried. But, don't let Sirius fool you. He's only angry because he cares. He won't stay upset for very long, darling. Don't you worry." Draco saw that his mother was struggling to suppress a smile.

"I'm glad that you find my situation amusing, mother," he commented dryly. Narcissa merely smiled and carded one hand through his hair. "Whatever he says to you, you'll survive. He was quite upset with Harry but young Mr. Potter is still in one piece. Go on now."

Draco found Sirius in his office. He sent a silent prayer to whichever higher power was willing to listen and knocked on the door frame. "Come in." He walked in and tried to gather some information from the man's face but his expression was unreadable. "Sit down, Draco."

"I take that you're feeling better?" Draco nodded. "Tell me, before I agreed to teach you this magic, what did I ask of you?" Uh oh. His doom had arrived. "To not use my magic for anything that wasn't right."

"And yet, you did just that." Sirius voice hardened and Draco wished the ground would just swallow him up. "I don't think you understand what you're dealing with, young man. While there is no doubt that our family is unusually powerful, a lot of them have died simply because they lost control of the familial magic. You don't realise just how strong it is, Draco."

"I thought—I thought I'd be able to handle it. But I was wrong." The man had no idea just how weak that made him feel. He was supposed to be able to control it, not the other way round. "Draco, you've been learning for less than a month. Do you really expect yourself to be able to master it so quickly? That's ridiculous."

"But you did, right?" Curiosity temporarily replaced his nervousness. "Regulus told me that you'd learnt all of it by the time you were fifteen. You taught yourself everything."

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His situation had been completely different, his reasons were different. He'd stayed up late nearly every night, mastering the magic. He had been determined to protect himself and his brother from their vicious father.

"Draco, we're not discussing my powers and abilities here. Each of us is different. You, have just started; and exhausting yourself is not good at all. Try and understand: you could have been hurt. Terribly."

Sirius had been scared for him. The realisation hit Draco hard. Throughout their conversation, Sirius had been stern but calm. His voice lacked that cruel edge his father possessed.

Sirius' next words which were calm but immovably firm, shook him. "Seeing that you are unable to follow a simple rule, I think it's best that we take a break from these lessons. Indefinitely."

Draco had a feeling that indefinitely meant permanently. He couldn't let that happen. These lessons were very important to him. He was finally doing something for himself, something over which his father had no control. He couldn't lose that. He actually enjoyed every one of these lessons immensely.

Besides, he was starting to get to know Sirius and Regulus a little better. They encouraged him, praised him and didn't belittle him or say anything remotely negative. He had few friends and Harry was one of them. He liked coming here to Black Manor. The place was happy and he did have a lot of fun.

"Please, Sirius, no! Look, I'm sorry if I worried you but you can't do that. You have to unders—"

"No, Draco! What you need to understand is that I won't allow you to continue until I'm sure that you will listen and won't do anything stupid."

But, Draco didn't understand. He didn't want to understand. He was shocked to find the heat building up behind his eyes. He wouldn't cry. He loved learning the familial magic. He wouldn't leave until he'd convinced the man that he could be trusted. Draco was willing to plead and beg if that's what it took. To hell with any ego.

He swallowed "Sirius, I've never done anything this brilliant. It's honestly the first thing that I've done without my father's interference. You don't understand how important this is for me. I'll scrub this entire Manor with a toothbrush," he said, recalling his detention last year. "But, please, don't cancel the training."

Sirius was silent. He leaned forward and steepled his fingers. When he'd said 'indefinitely' he'd meant for them to take a break for a month or so. But, he now realised that the boy had thought it would be permanent. Perhaps this was exactly what was needed. If Draco thought that his training was about to end, he would never even think of doing something like this again.

Effecting a heavy sigh, he shook his head. "I'm still not sure, Draco. This is your life that we're talking about. For as long as you are learning this magic, your safety is my responsibility. As well as Regulus'. But, you clearly have no regard for that and that's just not done."

"Sirius, I swear I won't do it again. Just please don't stop these lessons. I love them and I really, really like it here." Sirius had no idea just how hard Draco was trying to contain his emotions. If the man still refused, Draco was sure that he'd burst into tears.

The silence dragged on and each second felt like eternity. "Fine. We won't cancel them." Draco relaxed, clearly relieved. Thank Merlin. "But, there will be consequences." He didn't care. Any darn punishment had to be better than what had previously been decided upon.

"Two weeks. No training for two weeks and that's not negotiable. My mind's made up, Draco." He didn't argue. Two weeks were definitely better than forever. "Okay," he replied. "This is the first and last time. Familial magic is not something that we fool around with. Yes?"

Draco was too happy about the fact that the training hadn't been terminated. But, nevertheless, he did his best to look remorseful and nodded at the man. "Yes, sir," he said. Harry had told him it was what he did sometimes and he reminded himself to thank the other boy for this very useful tip.

"One more thing: I said that the lessons are on hold for two weeks. I'm not banning you from the house, Draco. You're welcome here anytime," Sirius told him, clapping his shoulder lightly.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Draco nodded again. He hadn't meant to lose control of his emotions. "Before you go home, you might want to go up to Harry's room for a minute. Show him that you're still alive. He was under the impression that I was going to murder you."

"I was under the exact same impression," Draco mumbled with a sheepish grin, on his way out.

* * *

"A week, Sirius? I talked to Harry last night and boy was he miserable. Cleaning his wardrobe? Dear big brother, you are turning into such a father." Regulus teased with a grin as both of them sat in Sirius' office at the Auror HQ. "Don't even pretend that you weren't worried when you heard about what they did," Sirius replied, not looking up from his file.

"Well I was worried, I won't deny that. Those two little rascals do know how to give me a good scare. I still have to talk to Draco but I doubt I'll be able to do any stern-talking. I will leave all this scolding and grounding business to you. You happen to be very good at it."

Sirius looked up at that and smiled sheepishly. "I'm actually quite surprised myself. Those two had me worried sick."

There was a knock on the door and Kingsley Shacklebolt's burly frame appeared in the doorway. "Sir, he's here. I brought him in like you requested."

"Thank you, Kingsley." Sirius smirked and stood up, making his way out of the office. "Come on, Reggie. Our guest has arrived."

Regulus followed Sirius towards the interrogation room. His brother opened the door and saw Borgin sitting inside. He appeared disgruntled but his expression immediately morphed into one of slight fear when he noticed the brothers. "Good evening, Mr. Borgin."

"I haven't done anything wrong. That big bloke had no right to drag me here."

"Mr. Borgin, you were holding something for Lucius Malfoy. You suddenly felt the need to return it to its rightful owner and so you went to Malfoy Manor. It was something important, we both know that. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to Malfoy Manor to personally deliver it."

"I wasn't holding anything, sir."

Sirius scoffed at the blatant denial. "Borgin, let us not waste each other's time with pointless denials." His eyes hardened until they were a dangerous shade of steel. "What. Was. It?"

Knowing that he'd been beaten, anger flared up on his face.

"It was that filthy Malfoy boy wasn't it? He ratted me out didn't he? That bloody boy's better off dead."

Regulus' voice was icy when he spoke. "Answer the question." The comment against Draco hadn't gone down well with him.

Borgin gulped fearfully and looked at the two brothers. It was no secret that they were a dangerous duo. "Malfoy came to me a couple of years ago. He had a parcel for me. Said he wanted me to look after it for a while. Paid me good money he did. Promised to pay the rest later."

"Keep going."

"It didn't look anything special. It was just a locket. All gold. But it was bad. A very evil sort of energy was coming from it. He had paid me and I didn't have enough money to return so I stashed it away in my shop. Then, recently, the aurors arrived at my shop. I was smart enough to know that if you folks found it, I'd be in deep shit. I didn't want anymore trouble."

"What did you do with it?" Sirius demanded sharply. "I sold it."

"To?"

"Didn't care, sir. Convinced a man that it was just some cheap, fancy jewellery. He bought it, I was just happy to get rid of that damn locket."

"So let me get this straight: you sold a highly dark artefact of which you had no knowledge whatsoever to a complete stranger, to save your own arse?" Sirius' tone was sharper than a knife.

The silence was the only answer Sirius received.

"Right. Until further notice, your shop will remain sealed off from the public. No one is to enter that area, not even you or your partner."

"What? No! You ca—"

"I'm doing it, Borgin. I suggest that you cooperate. I'll be needing a full description of this man. After that, you may go."

"Oh and one more thing: If that filthy partner of yours knows what's good for him, he'll stay away from me. As far as humanly possible."

* * *

"He's in his room, Regulus. I made him rest a little since he was still a little tired from yesterday's adventure," said Narcissa. "Yes, Sirius told me about it." He might have pretended to be all cool in front of his brother, but in actuality, he'd been beside himself with worry.

"I'll go upstairs for a little while, okay? Just wanted to check up on him." Regulus headed to Draco's room and found the boy lying on the bed, playing with a snitch.

Draco heard someone come inside. "Good to see that you're still in one piece, mate." That definitely wasn't his mother. He sat up, instantly recognising the voice. "Hi."

"Hi? You sneak into Knockturn Alley, nearly exhaust your magic and all you say is hi? Draco Malfoy, what is wrong with you?" Draco winced at his full name and braced himself for yet another scolding. Regulus came inside and sat down next to the blonde.

"Are you okay now?" He nodded and it was the truth. "Thank Merlin. You're an absolute idiot, you know that?" Flushing at the rebuke, Draco frowned. "And I said I was sorry!" Draco stood up, feeling rather petulant. "Yes, you're sorry because my brother knocked some sense into you," Regulus stated calmly, not moving from his spot.

"Yes. No... I'm sorry about that and you were worried. I didn't mean to," Draco mumbled. "Kiddo, you're lucky I like you. You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I swear, I didn't mean to," Draco said again. "I know. You're forgiven this one time." Draco let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "Sirius was pretty mad too."

"He was more worried than angry. But yes, he was upset. Can't say you didn't deserve it." Regulus got up and shook his head. "Just come here," he pulled Draco into a hug, surprising both of them. Although Draco would never admit it out loud, it felt nice.

"Try something like this again and I swear, Sirius won't be the only one you'll have to deal with. Are we clear?" Regulus pulled back to look at Draco and the boy finally understood what Harry had meant when he talked about the infamous _look_. "Yes, sir."

"Splendid. How about some ice cream? I'm sure Cissy won't mind!"

* * *

"So, any updates on our mysterious buyer?" Regulus asked. "None so far. We're looking for him," Kingsley replied. "He could be any average bloke in the city. The only thing we have on him is his bad dressing style. But Hestia has been on the lookout. We'll find him." Regulus hummed in response, turning to glance at Sirius.

He knew that look well. His brother was clearly on to something. "You've been awfully quiet, Sirius. You have a plan." It wasn't a question."

"This locket was obviously of immense importance. It is as important as it is dangerous. Malfoy knew that. He knew that he couldn't keep it in his house but at the same time, he didn't get rid of it. Instead, he approached Borgin and paid him to guard it temporarily. Why? Why go through all that trouble? Why not just destroy it and save himself all that time and money? Borgin was nothing more than a pawn doing the dirty work. He didn't know much about this locket."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that while Hestia and the others hunt this bloke down, we need to find out all we can about this locket. Every single little detail. There's only one person who can tell us all that."

"You're sa—"

"Yes. It's time to pay a visit to Lucius Malfoy."

* * *

 **And there's chapter 38. Small cliffhanger right there. So, they're going to go and meet our dear friend Mr. Malfoy sr.**

 **The boys got it good didn't they? I nearly felt sorry for them when I wrote it! There's a little difference between Harry and Draco's reactions. While Harry's always been open with his emotions, Draco's been taught otherwise.**

 **It may also take a while before Harry and the others return to Hogwarts.**

 **Tell me what you thought of this chapter. Don't hesitate to review. I also recently uploaded a one shot called 'Not a Replacement'. Check that out as well.**


	40. Chapter 39: The Locket

Azkaban was a cold, dark and desolate place. The only sound that one could hear was painful cries of anguish, fear and sometimes hysterical laughter. The approaching chill that the dementors brought with them was the only sign the prisoners received before they were engulfed by the cold and seemingly never ending darkness. Helpless wails carried thorough the walls every now and then.

Sometimes, one of the prisoners would lose it completely and start banging their heads against the cell, screaming hopelessly. An auror would drag them away and bring that person back to their cell a few hours later. That poor prisoner had been successfully subdued, if only temporarily.

One of Azkaban's newer residents, Lucius Malfoy drew his knees to his chest and clutched himself tightly. The chill that surrounded the entire area was never ending. It never stopped. The dementors came by his cell every few days and all he could do was pray that they'd go away soon. He'd scream and beg for them to leave. But, they seemed to enjoy tormenting him.

He didn't remember much of his first day here. A pair of aurors had escorted him to his cell. On the way, he'd passed several known faces: Rabastan Lestrange, Amycus Carrow, Barty Crouch Jr. and even his wife's sister: Bellatrix Lestrange. That woman was completely insane. He'd seen her licking the floor and bars of her cell. All of his former associates were nothing more than flesh and bones. Pale flesh clung to their bones, their faces were gaunt with haunted eyes.

The first few days had been horrible. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in here. It felt like years. But, it was probably just weeks. Azkaban had reduced him to nothing more than a whimpering mess. He cried, sometimes he would scream, but he was mostly silent. He wondered how Black had survived in this place for a whole decade.

 _He was innocent. You're not._

As he thought about the other prisoners, he wondered if he'd also turn insane like them. As far as he could remember, Bella had always been a crazy bitch. Sometimes, a small strip of sunlight would dimly illuminate his cell. He'd rush towards it and try and take in as much warmth as possible.

He heard his cell door being opened and cautiously lifted his head. "Nice to see you, Malfoy. How's it going?" He ignored the taunts from the Auror, refusing to acknowledge him. Phillip McNally— the auror who patrolled this particular floor— stepped inside, accompanied by another auror. "Looking absolutely peachy, mate." His overtly cheerful nature made Malfoy want to hurl. He was probably the only bloke who could smile in Azkaban.

Unable to bear their voices anymore, he glowered at them. "What do you want?" He snapped. "He's new here, isn't he? Hasn't gone crazy... yet." The other man spoke. "Yeah. Give him a couple of months. Come on, mate. You're in for a real treat today." The two aurors approached him and smirked. "Were taking a little field trip today."

 _Field_ _trip_? _As_ _in_ _out_ _of_ _Azkaban_? "W-What?" How was that possible? Had Narcissa pulled some strings?

"Don't start looking too happy, Malfoy. The boss has some questions for you." He didn't have time to ask anything else. The two men grabbed an arm each and roughly yanked him into a standing position.

Boss? Why did Scrimgeour want to see him? "Scrimgeour? Why?"

"Not Scrimgeour, you dolt! Keep up with the times! That old man retired recently. A new Head was selected. Come along now! Scrimgeour was an old softie. He didn't push much. But this guy is headstrong, brilliant but downright terrifying when he's mad. Wouldn't want to piss him off."

Headstrong and terrifying. Only one name popped into Malfoy's mind.

* * *

Sirius opened the door to the room that currently held prisoner number 4658, also known as Lucius Malfoy. He hoped that this interrogation would prove to be useful. McNally had brought him to the headquarters that morning. Regulus had decided against accompanying him since the younger Black was furious with Malfoy.

Both the brothers now knew exactly what kind of a father Lucius had been. But, his baby brother had somewhat bonded with Draco in the last few weeks and had grown rather protective of him. Regulus hadn't been as successful at reining in his anger towards Malfoy Sr.

He found Malfoy sitting at the small table, his posture hunched. When Malfoy looked up, Sirius caught the fear that flitted over his face. "So you're the new boss?" His voice came out all hoarse and cracked. This was just a shell of the man he had seen last month. "Yes."

A month in Azkaban had drastically changed his appearance. His hair was matted and thoroughly dishevelled, streaks of grey had appeared in it, his eyes were red-rimmed and the unkempt beard gave him a very haggard sort of look.

"What more do you want from me? I'm rotting away! Isn't that enough for you?" Although Malfoy's words were supposed to be forceful, they sounded weak and pathetic. "This isn't about me, Malfoy. It's something that you _forgot_ to tell us," Sirius replied without missing a beat. He could see the dazed look in the man's eyes and figured that the veritaserum should have kicked in by now.

He sat down on the opposite side and scrutinised him. "Mr. Borgin told me something very interesting. He spoke about a locket. He specifically mentioned your name, saying that it was you who had given it to him. Did you give it to him?"

There was some internal conflict before Malfoy answered. "Yes." He was trying to fight the potion, it was blatantly unsuccessful. "Was the locket truly yours?" There was a flicker of indecision on his face before his eyes glazed over and he submitted completely to the influence of the truth serum. "No."

"Who's was it?"

"The Dark Lord." Sirius' eyes widened fractionally at the revelation. Now he definitely needed more answers.

"Why did he give it to you?"

"For safekeeping. He didn't want to take any risks. He said that he would be most displeased with me, should anything happen to that locket."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at that. The seemingly plain locket was far more precious than he had thought. "Why was it so important to him?"

"I do not know. He didn't tell me and it was not my place to question his Lordship."

Sirius mentally scoffed when he heard the man. All death eaters felt the same way. "What do _you_ know about this locket, Malfoy?"

There was a brief lapse of silence, as though the prisoner was trying to recollect. "It's very old. It belonged to someone extremely important. The locket was passed down over the centuries, from generation to generation. It belonged to the Dark Lord before he entrusted it to me."

"Well, if it was so important, why did you get rid of it?"

"When the Dark Lord was vanquished, most of the death eaters were either arrested or in hiding. I didn't want to live like that. When the aurors began raiding houses, I knew that I had to save myself. So, I took the locket to Borgin and paid him to safeguard it."

"I see. When this locket was in your possession, how exactly did you protect it?"

"I kept it in my office. I knew that Narcissa never came in there and my son was a mere baby at that time. I knew it would be safe in there."

"Borgin told me that this locket emanated a strong negative energy, something extremely dark. Is that right?"

"Yes." Malfoy's voice sounded cracked and hoarse. "Do you know why?" Sirius demanded. This interrogation was proving to be rather fruitful. He had a suspicion about the first owner of this increasingly mysterious locket.

"No." Sirius sighed frustratedly. Another dead end. Malfoy's eyes slowly started to lose that hazy, faraway look. The veritaserum was slowly wearing off. Another ten minutes tops. It didn't matter though. He had already got what was needed. "Do you have anymore questions, Black? Or can I return to my _home_?

"Feel free." Sirius gestured for the guards to take him back to Azkaban. Malfoy was just out of the door when he stopped and turned around. "How's Draco?" The question wasn't one of concern. There was a fire behind it. Sirius deduced that this was due to the fact that he had absolutely no control over the lad now. "Better and better, I assure you."

"He's under your command now, is he?" Sirius shook his head in reply. "On the contrary, Malfoy, he's under my protection. Regulus' too."

The man snarled, clearly pissed that his son had gained the favour of the one man he hated and feared the most. "He'll disappoint you. That's what he always does."

"I beg to differ. He's a brilliant boy. You were just too stupid to see that." Malfoy sneered in response. "Take him away." Sirius watched with mild satisfaction as the guards hauled him out of the room. He deserved every bit of Azkaban's miseries.

* * *

While Sirius and Regulus were at work, two boys were doing a bit of their own work at Black Manor. Harry dusted the cobwebs while Draco scrubbed the floor. The house had several rooms and that only meant more work for two disobedient lads.

"I can't believe my mother even suggested this! This isn't like her at all. If I didn't know better, I'd say that she wanted me out of the house." Draco groaned, working on a particularly grimy spot. "Well I'm glad she did. I would've been completely miserable by myself. But now, we can be miserable together!" Harry wasn't in a bad mood at all. In fact, he was unexpectedly cheery for a boy who was grounded.

"Shut up, Potter!"

"Hey, I'm just being honest. The only reason I'm even being punished is because I went along with you." Draco rolled his eyes and ignored the comment. Although he'd deny it vehemently, he was definitely starting to appreciate the other boy's friendship. There were still some instances where he was tempted to shake some sense into Harry for being annoying, but that was alright.

He was more than shocked when his mother had told him that he'd be helping Harry out with some work. This was just so unlike her! If Blaise saw him now, he'd laugh himself silly. Draco would never be allowed to forget it.

"Hurry up and finish your scrubbing. Then we can go downstairs and ask Remus to show us some mercy. He's a real softie."

"Am I now? Well, then I suppose you can forget about any sort of reprieve whatsoever." Harry mentally banged his head against the wall. "Remus, I'm sure you can be merciful towards two hungry and tired children such as ourselves. We've worked hard and long," Harry began with a dramatic wave of his hand.

Remus took one look at the duo and relented. He'd met Lucius Malfoy's son for the first time that day. He'd expected nothing more than an utter snob but was pleasantly surprised. The boy was slightly proud but otherwise well behaved. "Sirius is right you know. You really are a drama queen. Ten more minutes and you boys can come downstairs. Okay?" He suppressed a grin when Harry all but broke into a happy dance.

Once Remus had left, Draco turned to face Harry. "Potter, how the bloody hell can you be so happy? Your never ending optimism is annoying. I've dealt with my mother's jitters all morning and now I need to put up with Mr. Sunshine. Honestly, this is a cruel world."

"Why is your mum all jittery in the first place?" Harry was unbothered by Draco's words.

"She's meeting her sister Andromeda after nearly two decades. They were quite close as children. But, as they grew older, the sisters drifted apart due to... difference of opinion. Apparently, she was banished for committing some sort of unspeakable crime. I don't know about that. She cut all ties from the Blacks and went away. She dishonoured her family. At least, that's what my father told me a few years ago. Not sure how true his words are."

"Well, I've only met Mrs. Tonks twice but she's an awfully nice person. My dad told me about her. She didn't do anything wrong. Your mum needn't be nervous. I'm sure it'll all be great between them."

"Yeah. I hope so."

* * *

Turns out Harry was right.

It was nearly four o'clock by the time Draco flooed home. Sirius and Regulus hadn't returned so he hadn't been able to ask them about Borgin's parcel.

He stepped out of the fireplace and saw his mother sitting and talking with another woman. She was actually laughing. It was a genuine, pleasant laugh. Something he had not heard in a really long time. The other dark haired woman was definitely Narcissa's sister. She bore that striking family resemblance. She was probably a year or two older than his mother.

"Darling, you're right on time. There's someone I'd like you to meet. This is my sister and your aunt Andromeda." His mother looked happy and he could tell that she'd cried a little as well.

Tearful reunions indeed.

Draco was right. His mother _had_ wanted him out of the house. He knew that she hated showing any sort of weakness whatsoever, especially in front of him.

"It's lovely to meet you dear." Andromeda smiled kindly at him and Draco nodded back with a small, somewhat forced smile. "Likewise." Condescension was something he'd worn like a second skin all these years. He could do that easily. He was rather inexperienced when it came to politeness and courtesy towards your mother's long lost sister.

So, for the next hour or so, Draco was made to endure their conversation and answered a few questions, all the while hoping that he was back at Black Manor, scrubbing the floors! He'd never thought that his mother was such a chatterbox!

Thankfully, Draco was saved from further torture when Regulus arrived. He'd never been so grateful for someone's arrival.

Regulus chatted a bit with the two sisters before he stood up. "Come on, Draco. You need to tell me all about your exploits and other valiant household tasks that you've braved through." The blonde immediately turned red before he followed Regulus out.

"So, how was your first day? Is that a cobweb in your hair?" Regulus smirked at him. "Hilarious."

"What did you find out about that parcel?" Draco asked once he'd gotten over his embarrassment. Regulus' smile faded almost comically at the question. "Well, uh...Sirius spoke with your father today."

"He did?" Draco's voice turned guarded but he couldn't mask his surprise. "What did my— he say?" The boy was surprised when he didn't feel that familiar feeling of resentment every time he thought about Lucius. "Nothing much. Sirius gave me the details once he had finished. The package contained a locket. Lucius was just keeping it safe for someone."

"You-know-who." Regulus seemed to hesitate before he nodded. "Did he"— _spit_ _it out_ —" say anything about me?" Damn him and his hopeful tone. He was supposed to dislike that man and to a particular extent, maybe he did. But, Lucius was after all his father.

"He did."

"What did he have to say?"

A flash of anger and then it was gone. Regulus expression returned to normal. "Nothing worth mentioning." That told Draco everything. "I see."

"Hey, none of that now. Whatever he said, it was nothing more than a load of hogwash. Don't let it get your spirits down. Harry gave a brief description of his day. Now, I want you to tell me about your tales of valour. Did you cower before the cobwebs and dust or did you pick up the broom and fight?"

Draco rolled his eyes at the teasing. "I'm not doing this." He quickened his pace only for Regulus to pull him back by the arm. "Oh yes you are. You're not getting out of this one, lad. Now, on with it!"

Regulus' grin was contagious. Draco soon found himself grinning as well

He was doing a lot of that these days. Smiling. Laughing. Living.

* * *

Sirius massaged his temples and nursed his brandy. Another unsuccessful day. The entire team of aurors had been extremely fruitless in their search for the man who'd bought the locket from Borgin.

He looked at Harry who was sitting next to him. The boy was thoroughly engrossed in some Quidditch magazine. He looked up when he "You sure I don't get to drink that?" Harry inquired, pointing to the brandy.

"Darn sure, Harry James." Sirius rolled his eyes when Harry gave an exaggerated groan. "So what did you and Remus talk about today? It's been a while since you saw him."

"Not much." Sirius smirked to himself before taking another sip. So Remus hadn't told his pup about his new job. Well, Harry would be in for a pleasant surprise once he returned to Hogwarts.

"Oh so he didn't tell you about it?" He kept his tone as casual as possible. "Tell me about what? Tell me about what, Dad?"

Sirius got up and pretended to yawn. "It's been a long day, kiddo. I'm heading upstairs. I think you should do the same."

"Dad!"

Still grinning, Sirius hit the bed. He felt better. New day tomorrow. He'd continue his search for that damn locket the next day.

* * *

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	41. Chapter 40: Black

Regulus shot up in his bed, drenched in cold sweat. While his nightmares had become less frequent over the last few years, they'd never stopped. Some were worse than others. Every single one of his nightmares was an agonising walk down memory lane. It was always that same darkness, _his_ darkness, evil and Regulus' fear. It never seemed to get better.

He glanced at the bedside clock: _2:47_

He'd been reliving his first day. He had been the youngest 'recruit' but none of the others had dared to mock him. He was the son of the late Orion Black after all. Easily the most vicious, cruel and merciless death eater ever. Regulus remembered every single detail of his brief period as one of them. He remembered Voldemort's ice cold hand on his shoulder, welcoming him to the 'team', it was horrible. He'd put on a stoic mask and forced himself to do the Dark Lord's bidding.

He swung his legs over the side and stood up. He pulled on a robe over his pyjamas and went of his room. He definitely needed a drink. He'd had two other nightmares after moving back into Black Manor. The other two occupants of the house weren't aware of this.

Thanks to the thick carpet, his feet made no sound. He entered the kitchen but stopped short when he saw Sirius leaning against the counter, nursing his own drink. _Damn it!_ He'd managed to hide his problems so far. Too late now. Instead, he forced himself to smirk and took a seat on one of the stools. "What's bothering you at this hour, brother? Worried about grey hair and other woes of old age?" He hoped that the lighthearted tone would work.

Sirius didn't reply. He wandlessly summoned a glass for Regulus, poured a bit of fire whiskey into it and slid it over. "You look like you need it." Regulus accepted the glass with a grateful nod. He downed the glass and set it on the counter.

"This was the third one, wasn't it?" _How?_ How was it that Sirius always knew? "Yes." A pause. "Why didn't you confront me earlier?" Sirius shrugged and took another sip. "I knew that you didn't want to talk about it."

"Mmhm. So is Harry asleep?" Regulus asked. _Dumb question, Reg._ "Yeah."

"Why are _you_ up, Sirius?" He was curious to know. "That bloody locket has been bothering me for a while, Reg." Then, he added jokingly: "I spent the last decade in Azkaban. I can hardly be expected to sleep like a baby." Regulus immediately felt guilty. Sometimes he forgot what Sirius had been through. If one were to look at his older brother, they'd never be able to guess that he'd left Azkaban less than two years ago.

"How do you do it?" He needed to know. "How do you manage to keep all those memories from consuming you? I've tried, Sirius, and failed. Every time I close my eyes, I'm always afraid that I'll find myself in Voldemort's lair. The nightmares aren't frequent but they're still there. And I hate it. Every damn second of it. How did you get rid of your memories?"

Sirius sighed and turned to look at his brother. At that moment, he only saw that little boy who'd looked up to Sirius for all the answers. He hadn't asked Reggie about the nightmares because he knew that the other man would talk when he was ready. If there was one thing Sirius understood better than most was that desperate need for a little space.

"Regulus, I didn't get rid of my memories. Every second that I spent in Azkaban is still there. I just buried it deep inside. I've never been more grateful for Occlumency. The very first thing I did once I was out was to bury it all. All those horrible memories, the pain and suffering; it's all folded small into the deepest part of my mind. No one, not even I can look inside it ever again. I've put them under layers and layers of other happier moments. It was the only way to stop the darkness of Azkaban from haunting me. It wasn't easy but it was necessary."

Regulus registered this new piece of information with no small amount of awe. He always wondered how Sirius managed to keep the memories at bay. He'd figured that the other man must've used a potion but that clearly wasn't the case. Unlike Sirius, Regulus' skills as an Occlumens were quite poor. "Do you want to talk about it now? The dream?"

Did he? His nightmares were infrequent but bad. If there was one person who he trusted implicitly, it was his brother. "It was my first day. Everyone there was older than me. Mother was there, along with Bellatrix and the rest of the deranged lot: Lucius, Rudolphous, Dolohov, Rabastan, Barty; I can go on. They made it look like one big happy gathering at Grimmauld Place. I remembered mother telling me to be proud and obey Voldemort's every order, never to show weakness or betray any emotion. She told me to make Father proud."

"Then, _he_ called me forward, made me kneel. He told me that I was destined for greatness, like him. I hated each second of it. He was just so _evil._ I wanted nothing more than to disappear from there." Regulus buried his face in his hands and shook his head. He was still ashamed of the choices that he'd made years ago. "He put his hand on his shoulder and said 'welcome, Regulus' and then I recalled the look on your face when I'd shown you the dark mark. You were so disappointed and I just wanted to die."

He felt Sirius' arm coming to rest around his shoulders, squeezing him reassuringly. "You were only a child back then, Reggie. Stop blamingyourself, okay?" There was only one way he could make this stop. He'd always known as much. The thought had occurred to him long ago but he'd been too much of a coward to follow through with the idea. But, he needed to do this now.

"I need to go back, there. Closure. That's exactly what I need, Sirius." It was the only way. That bloody place haunted him to this day. Facing this fear was the only way to overcome it. "Are you sure? It was a terrible place, Reggie." He could hear the doubt in Sirius' voice and nodded firmly. "I have to do this, Sirius."

"Then I'll come with you."

"No. Sirius, I really appreciate the offer but you hated that place more than anyone else. You really don't need to come." Truth be told, Regulus wanted Sirius along. But, he knew just how much Sirius detested that place.

"You really think I'm going to let you go to that hellhole all by yourself? If that how you feel, there's obviously something wrong with you, Reg. I'm coming with you. End of discussion." At that moment Regulus felt a rush of gratitude towards his older brother. He mumbled his thanks along with a comment about bossy big brothers.

"Yes, I'm bossy and you're welcome. We've got that part cleared," Sirius stated. "But all jokes apart, I'm here. We'll go whenever you're ready." Regulus nodded, feeling equal amounts of relief and apprehension.

"I'm going to head upstairs and leave you to brood." Sirius stood and cleared away the glasses and bottle. "Fair warning though, if you fall asleep on the job later on, you're fired." Regulus snickered and gave Sirius a mock salute.

Sirius paused on the way and turned around. "Oh and Reg? The only person who has to worry about the woes of old age is you."

* * *

"But why can't I go with you? I really want to see the place." Harry pleaded during breakfast. It was a Sunday morning and thanks to his recent escapade with a certain blonde boy, he was unfortunately grounded. "I'll stay right next to you and won't even think about wandering off."

"Trust me, pup, you do not want to see this place." Harry didn't know why he wouldn't want to. He was curiously to see what it was like. In all the time he had lived with Sirius, the man had never even mentioned this house. Could anyone blame him for being curious? _Grimmauld Place._ It even _sounded_ mysterious. "Dad, come on, I just want—"

"And I said no." Sirius didn't want to expose his pup to the darkness of that vile place and nothing would change his mind. It was depressing and evil. Plain and simple.

Harry felt a mild flash of anger at the blunt refusal and scowled at his father. "Fine. Can I at least call Draco over or is that also asking for too much?" Sirius gave him a pointed look before nodding. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Still feeling a little petulant, Harry ignored Sirius throughout the remainder of breakfast.

About an hour later, Harry was in his room, _not sulking_ when Sirius came inside. "We'll be back in a couple of hours, okay? Draco will be here in say ten minutes or so."

"Fine."

The man sighed and sat down next to Harry on the bed. "Look, trust me when I say that you're better off not knowing about that place. It's not that great. You can be mad at me if you like but it doesn't change the facts. I really _can't_ take you there. It's a terrible place."

Harry looked at Sirius and saw the unflinching determination in his eyes. Normally, whenever the man was firm about something, he was right. "But why do you have to go if it's so bad?" His father's expression tensed immediately. "It's for Reg. He needs this."

"I'll drop it, happy?" Harry relented with a shrug. The man gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair. "Good lad. Now, you and Draco have fun. Just try not to burn the house down."

" _Bye_ Dad!" Sirius shook his head with a small smile and flicked Harry's ear before leaving. One minute, the lad was being a grumpy, scowling little monster and the very next, he was back to his sweet angelic self.

Sirius and Regulus appeared right in front of 11 Grimmauld Place. "It really hasn't changed a bit," Sirius commented and he was right. It was exactly what it had been years ago.

Regulus took a deep breath and pulled out his wand. He mumbled a few incantations under his breath and felt the Fidelius charm being lifted off the house. To any passerby, everything would have looked normal but the younger Black watched with a slight sense of trepidation as the bricks between houses 11 and 13 rumbled and made way with a grating sound. More bricks appeared in between and began to take shape.

12, Grimmauld Place. A nightmare.

"You ready?" Sirius sounded stronger than he felt. He hated this place. Almost every bad memory of his life was associated with this house. Regulus wasn't the only one who dreaded going inside. He'd come along purely to support his brother.

"Not in the slightest." And they went inside.

The knob creaked painfully as Sirius turned it. The two of them stepped in and closed the door.

The place looked horrible.

A thick layer of dust coated the floor, cobwebs hung over the walls and the smell was nearly unbearable, especially for Sirius who was an Animagus. They couldn't see much of the house because of the extremely dull lights.

They stood in the dark passageway that led to the living room. Regulus shivered and it wasn't because he was cold. "Are you alright?" Sirius whispered. "I'm fine." Reg had no idea why they were whispering.

They walked further ahead into the house. Sirius snapped his fingers sharply and the dim passage was instantly illuminated. Regulus immediately wished his brother hadn't done that.

"It's been a while, _son_."

The voice chilled Regulus to the bone.

* * *

While Sirius and Regulus were busy battling their demons, Harry and Draco were having a pretty good time back home.

"Potter, has anyone ever told you that you're deplorable at chess?" Harry rolled his eyes as Draco's bishop knocked his knight off. "Yes. You have. Only five hundred times or so."

"I didn't invite you over so that you could insult me, Draco. I'm bored. It's still not fair though. Why couldn't I have gone with them?" Harry started randomly. "I have no idea what you're talking about but I'm pretty sure you weren't invited because of your overly developed ability of whinging. The misfortune of babysitting you has fallen upon me." Draco remarked dryly. He didn't know where the men had gone but the sight of Potter whining was equal parts of amusing and annoying.

"Shut up. It sounds real mysterious. _Grimmauld Place._ It's the first time my da—"

"Grimmauld Place? That's a real hellhole. You don't want to go anywhere _near_ that place. I'd dig my heels in if anyone even suggested that I go there again." Draco was reminded of the short trip he'd made to that house with his father. He had been about eight years old. A portrait had spoken to him there and honestly, that woman still frightened him in ways his father never could. Of course, his mother was still not aware of this. He'd been strictly ordered to keep her out of this.

"Again? You've been there before?"

"Unfortunately."

Harry frowned when he heard this. His father, Regulus and Draco, all of them seemed to hate that place. Yet, Regulus had felt the need to go back. What was _so_ terrible about this particular house? "It can't be _that_ bad, right. I mean, come on, it's just a house, isn't it?"

"It's anything but _just_ a house. The entire area just breathes dark magic. There isn't a single part of that house which is not dark. The house is evil. The worst was that horrendous portrait." Draco shuddered slightly. Harry took all this in. This morning, Sirius had been trying to protect him, that's all.

"So I suppose it's not the ideal spot for a holiday home huh?" He asked in an attempt to lighten the damp mood. Draco shook his head, his expression void of any humour. "Guess not."

* * *

Regulus stood rooted as he stared at the portrait of the late Walburga Black. Proud and beautiful, just the way he remembered. _Portrait? When? Who_? A million questions ran through his brain. Her grey, stone cold eyes pierced him. She was disappointed. "My own son doesn't seem to want to come and visit me. Why is that, Regulus?" She hadn't even bothered to acknowledge Sirius the whole time.

"Did you not have the time or were you too ashamed to show your face after what you did? Or perhaps you were simply unaware that I was always here?" She spoke calmly and there was no trace of anger on her face. "I didn't think you'd ever betray your family like that."

"I didn't betray anybody. I did what I thought was right. You were the one who forced me into becoming a damn Death Eater in the first place. I never wanted that life." Regulus felt the first signs of anger taking form. He didn't care how this portrait had appeared on the wall. She wasn't surprised to see him alive. He was too pissed to wonder why.

He was furious. "You're right. I did what I had to. Your father had certain plans for you. It was your destiny. But you didn't see that. You worshipped your blood traitor brother. It was necessary to break you apart while you were still pliable. I'm proud of what I did. I only wish you would have stayed true to our cause instead of running away like a filthy little coward. I feel…disappointed."

"In case you haven't noticed, _Walburga_ , we honestly don't give a fuck about how you feel." It was the first time Sirius had spoken. Walburga's stare shifted to Sirius and her eyes became impossibly hard. "I don't recall asking for your opinion, _blood traitor._ "

Sirius rolled his eyes. Those words had stopped affecting him a long, long time ago. "Really? That's the best you can do? All these years trapped in a portrait must've made you terribly lonely. No one other than your loyal little house elf to keep you company."

Walburga glared at him with those all too familiar stone cold eyes. "I had more company than you know. Narcissa's husband, Lucius visited frequently. He'd even brought his son along once, Draco, if I recall correctly. You on the other hand were lonely. I don't suppose Azkaban provides avisiting facilities. Besides, I don't know who'd want to come and visit _you._ Your blood traitor friend Potter and his mudblood wife were murdered, that pauper Lupin was actually foolish enough to believe that you'd joined Voldemort and your very own brother was hiding his face like the co—"

"Shut up!" Sirius snapped, losing his composure. No one angered him like his parents. They had always managed to bring out that formidable temper of his.

"I heard you've taken that little Potter waif under your wing. Do—"

"Not another word about Harry," Sirius growled. She looked at him as though he were an interesting potions experiment. "So it appears that I've struck a nerve. Interesting." She smiled cruelly, apparently satisfied.

"How do you even know all this?" Regulus inquired, bewildered. Walburga smiled at him condescendingly. "My dear Regulus," She spoke to him as though she were addressing a rather dim witted child. "Portraits visit each other. You'd be surprised by how much one learns when they are dead than alive. How else did you think I found out that you'd faked your death?"

The malice faded a little from Walburga's face and she gazed at Regulus sadly. "I wish you would have stayed loyal to the Dark Lord, son. He had plans for you. Sirius refused to serve him but I was so proud when you followed in your father's footsteps. Everything was going as planned. You were the youngest among us all. Then, one fine day, you think you're above serving our Lord. You decided to quit."

"I should've quit sooner," Regulus stated coldly. "You never should have left!" She screamed. "But no, you were so upset that you'd disappointed Sirius. You just _had_ to leave. Why couldn't you have stayed?"

Was she actually disappointed that he'd left? "Are you even listening to yourself right now? You wanted me to spend the rest of my life groveling at the feet of the most heartless and cruel dark wizard to have lived? I daresay, you really did have wonderful plans for my future. Trust me, nothing pleased me more than leaving. I should never have joined him in the first place."

"You and your newfound integrity, Regulus. Tell me, where was this probity when you were out in the open while your precious brother was wasting away in Azkaban for a crime that he didn't commit?" Regulus flinched violently and drew back like he'd been slapped.

"You claimed that he'd done so much for you and yet, despite all of that— _You. Abandoned. Him._ You _are_ a traitor, Regulus. You betrayed your brother whom you supposedly loved."

Regulus' mouth felt dry. He couldn't speak. Every word of hers was like a knife to his heart. The ground seemed to sway under his feet. He couldn't breathe. Her words kept echoing in his head. _You abandoned him. You betrayed your brother._

 _You abandoned him._

 _You abandoned him._

 _You abandoned him._

And he didn't scream his defence because every word was true.

Sirius hadn't said anything either. The words had hurt both of them almost equally. He reached out to Reg but the younger man shrugged him off and stormed upstairs.

"There he goes," Sirius turned his attention back to Walburga wishing she were alive just so that he could strangle her to death. "Regulus always did have a penchant for tantrums. Tad bit dramatic, don't you think?" Now that she had successfully made her point, her voice was calm once again. There was a hint of that victorious smirk as well.

"Why?" Sirius' voice was shaking with barely suppressed rage. "WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO FUCKING DO THIS? Even when we were children, you always tried to keep the two of us apart. I get it, you hated me, I was different. You _loathed_ me once I was sorted into Gryffindor. But I thought you loved Reg. How could you do that to him? He'd kept all that misery buried for so long and you just throw it in his face like that! WHATTHE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? How could you say that to him?"

"My _dear_ Sirius, I only told him what was true. I know you, _son._ Tell me that you did not feel betrayed when you found out that Regulus had joined _our_ side. You were more hurt than angry weren't you? When you were in Azkaban, grieving that filthy blood traitor Potter, little Regulus must have been on your mind as well. You could only think about how you had failed him. And then, when he miraculously appeared in your life again, there was this small part of you that didn't want to forgive him for his transgressions. Look at me and tell me that I'm wrong. Go on, Sirius."

"That's bullshit and you know it. There was no way I wouldn't have forgiven him. He's my brother. You just said that to get to him. You're a conniving bitch. That's all you've ever been." Sirius was breathing hard, his teeth clenched. Apparently, Regulus wasn't the only one who needed closure. "You can call me what you want but you did feel betrayed. Deny it all you like but we both know the truth Sirius." She tsked and shook her head mockingly.

"Yes, I was hurt. He's my younger brother and when we were children, I wanted nothing more than to keep him far away from Voldemort. So yes, when I saw the dark mark on his arm: I. Felt. Betrayed." Walburga smiled triumphantly at his words and Sirius found that cruel satisfaction on her face.

"But that was then. I got over it. I'm not in Azkaban anymore but you're nothing more than a damn portrait. You don't control my little brother anymore and you most certainly _do not_ control me. You never have. James and Lily are dead, as you've mentioned. Repeatedly. I came to terms with that a long time ago. That _little waif—_ Harry _—_ is my son and you'll never know how much he means to me. You never really were aware that family _is_ power. For you, it was always about the upper hand. About control." Sirius watched as the satisfaction melted off her face. His own anger was slowly dissipating. He needed to get this out.

"I have my family with me now. Harry's safe and so is Regulus. Even Narcissa and her son are on _our_ side now. It's _you_ who is lonely and rotting in here. You tried to make my life miserable while you were alive. Along the way, one small, tiny little detail slipped your mind: You. Are. Nothing. I'm alive and you're not. You're alone and I'm not. So, for the rest of your futile existence, I wish you an eternity of misery, _mother_."

* * *

Sirius found Regulus in his old room, simply standing near the bed. "Hey." He paused at the door, unsure of Regulus' current mood. He was surprised when his brother turned around and smiled at him. It was a sad one but a smile was definitely better than the other reactions he'd expected.

"That was quite the racket downstairs. Haven't heard you shout like that in a while," Sirius didn't say anything but went inside. "She was right, you know. What she said about me."

" _What_? No! Reg, s—"

"Just hear me out, Sirius. In the last decade, I've thought a lot about how I never should have joined Voldemort. It was the biggest mistake of my life. Every time I obeyed any of his orders, it was a betrayal of sorts. Mother was right. The one thought that haunted me all these years was that I should have told you the truth. You fought hard for me and I should've done the same for you. It was this very knowledge that made me loathe myself. I wasn't strong enough."

"Today, when mother said all those things to me, she actually helped me. I had been unable to face this because I was afraid. She brainwashed me and made me join the Death Eaters. I was able to break free form his clutches and nothing made me more relieved. But, to this day, there was this little voice that kept whispering to me: _I should have stayed by your side._ And everyday, I think about how I should have listened to that voice. You might have forgiven me, Sirius, but I was never quite able to forgive myself."

"I think I'm ready to do that now."

Sirius' eyes softened as he listened to all this. "Come here, kid," he wrapped his arm around the younger man, pulling him in for a rough hug before drawing back. "Watch it, Reggie. You're dangerously close to becoming smarter than me." Regulus laughed. "I already am."

"You wish."

"Are you alright though?" Sirius asked, all traces of humour gone. "I will be." That was enough. "Good. You ready to get out of this hellhole?" Reg nodded with a grimace.

On the way out, they passed Walburga's portrait. She glared at the two of them contemptuously. Regulus stopped in front of her and opened his mouth to say something. But then he thought better of it and shook his head at her pityingly. She wasn't worth it.

They left the wretched house, leaving an outraged portrait behind.

Closure.

* * *

 **Whoo! There's the update. It's been a really busy month. I have always wanted to explore the Black family dynamics and plan to do more. I don't imagine Walburga Black as a screaming banshee, not one bit. I like to think of her as someone who's lethal as a venomous snake. She might have loved her younger son a long time ago but her 'principles' about blood superiority overrode that love.**

 **Hope you liked it. Review! Its the season of giving after all. I know we're still a week away but Merry Christmas you guys!**

 **Love you!**


	42. Chapter 41: Prison Break

Draco flicked through the pages, hoping to catch a glimpse of the name he had in mind. When he'd recounted the tale of his trip to Grimmauld Place, he'd remembered some finer details. Walburga Black wasn't the sort of person/portrait one could easily forget. She was his mother's aunt so that made her Sirius'and Regulus' mother. No one deserved that. She'd spoken to him and his father that day.

That was the first time he'd seen his father talk without even the slightest bit of ego. She was prejudiced enough to make Lucius look like a muggle lover. Walburga had asked Lucius about his mother, the 'blood traitors' and about someone called Bella. She seemed to hold a certain fondness for this Bella person and Draco had seen the way his father's face had contorted with envy.

That night he'd dared to ask his father's about Bella only to be harshly rebuffed. A few years later, he had asked his mother about her and Narcissa's expression had turned sad, like she was hurt.

Truthfully, Draco knew next to nothing about the Blacks. Only recently had he gotten to know Sirius, Regulus and Aunt Andromeda. His mother never spoke about her family. Merlin knows why. There was no family tree in the house either.

Now that he was older, he was only more curious to know about the darker details of this rather diabolical family. Which was why he was furiously going through the history of the Black family.

His mother was out with her sister and that's where he wanted her for a while. She would be quite upset if she came home to find him in Lucius' study.

Draco turned to next page and froze. A picture. It was small and old but he could still make out the faces. From the momentary flash, he could tell that the picture had been snapped hastily. There were four people in it. One was definitely a woman, two other men and one boy, no older than sixteen. He easily recognised his father at the left but he didn't know the bloke next to him. The woman and the boy seemed to look vaguely alike. She was fairly young with curly, almost frizzy black hair and heavily lidded eyes. She had sharp, cold features and a proud smirk on her face and looked around the same age as his father.

The boy on the other hand looked strangely familiar. When he looked closer, his eyes widened. No bloody way! That was Regulus!

The office door was thrown open and Draco hurriedly slammed the book shut and shoved the photo into his pocket. It wasn't his mother. "Up to something, mate?" It was Blaise Zabini, his annoying and impossibly clumsy best friend. The Italian had an overnight bag slung over his shoulder. "Bloody hell, Zabini! Don't you ever knock?" His voice lacked any spite though. "Hey, don't blame me. I told you I was coming over. Your mum wasn't there downstairs, you weren't in your room so I figured you'd be here." He almost regretted telling Blaise anything.

"Found anything?" Blaise was the one person Draco could confide in without afraid of being judged. He was one of the few Slytherins who wasn't a prejudiced snob. "I think so."

"Brilliant. You can tell me more about it While I kick your arse at chess."

"You mean get your arse kicked? Certainly." He'd ask Regulus about the photo the next day. "So how's your mum?"

"She's happy. Thinks she's finally met the one," Blaise replied. "Who knows? Maybe fourth time's a charm." Draco put the book back in the drawer and closed it.

* * *

"Dad, I don't think I need so many pairs of jeans. We're in our uniforms most of the time," Harry complained as Sirius tossed yet another pair into his trunk. "Nonsense, pup. Third year means Hogsmeade weekends. You're going to thank me later. I've signed the permission slip and kept it inside your transfiguration textbook. That way, you can give it to Minnie and be done with it. Okay?"

Harry nodded as he wrestled the Monster book into his trunk. "Did Dumbledore tell you anything about the new DADA teacher?" Since his back was facing Sirius, he didn't notice the smirk on the man's face. "No. I have absolutely no clue. None at all."

"Well I hope it's someone good. Last year we had a brilliant professor," Harry commented with a grin, playfully ducking away when Sirius came to ruffle his hair.

"Can we go back to that little picnic spot once more? Before I leave?" Sirius smiled fondly at the boy before nodding. "We still have five days left. Tomorrow's a Sunday, I don't have to work. We'll go tomorrow if you like. Just the two of us. Sound good?" He'd been so busy with the locket off late that he hadn't been able to spend much time with his pup. "Sounds perfect."

"You're going to miss me, aren't you?" Sirius teased. The boy picked up on the tone and grinned back. "Not at all. It's going to be quite a relief actually."

"Really?" Sirius played on.

"Yes, really. No one will order me to eat my vegetables, or tell me to go to bed or try and shove any nutrient potions down my throat. I'm free." The man clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Harry, surely you know that it's bad manners to sass your elders?"

"No, I really don't." Harry yelped when Sirius reached out and poked him in the side. "Still ticklish, I see. How very useful," the man commented casually.

"You better be alert tomorrow, pup. I might just push you into the water, torture you a bit; the usual stuff."

Harry rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at the man.

* * *

The next day, Draco found Regulus in the Black library, reading. The man had his legs on the table and appeared at ease. He stood outside for several moments, gathering the courage to ask him about the picture. A little voice in his head told him this was a rather sensitive topic.

"And the winner of the staring contest is Draco Malfoy!" He was jostled out of his thoughts. "You can come inside, you know, I don't bite. Although there is this poorly behaved book in here that does." Draco quirked a grin and went inside.

Bracing himself, Draco sank into one of the stuffed chairs. "I wanted to talk to you about something," He began, hoping this was the right thing to do. "I'm just curious to know, that's all. I found this in one of my father's books yesterday." He pulled the little picture out of his pocket and set it on the table.

Regulus picked it up and took a look at it. His brow furrowed slightly. He hadn't seen this picture in a long time. Bella and Rudolphous had decided to get married. It was something any rich, prejudiced and proud pureblood was supposed to do. Get married and carry on the family name. Even in the picture, Regulus looked miserable.

Of course, there had been no love between them. Just mutual interest: torture techniques, thirst for power and unswerving loyalty to Voldemort. All the ingredients that made a perfect death eater couple.

Unfortunately, he'd been present when they'd announced their engagement. The picture had been a joke, nothing more. Regulus only wished that Draco hadn't found it.

"That's you isn't it? In the corner?" Regulus could only nod. "Who are the others?"

"I'm sure you must have recognised your father. The woman is your mum's other sister Bellatrix Lestrange and the other man is Rudolphous Lestrange." Both of them were cruel, vicious and any other adjective that described evil.

"Sister?" Draco didn't know anything about this other sister. Bella was his mother's sister, his aunt?"

"Yeah. She'd decided to marry Rudolphous Lestrange, just to uphold _pureblood principles._ " The distaste just rolled off his tongue. "It was just your average death eater gathering."

"And you?"

"I used to be one of them." This was news for Draco. He hadn't known that Regulus was a ex-death eater. But the man sitting before him was anything but that. "You didn't want that life." It wasn't a question. The truth was that Draco understood.

"No, I didn't. My mother thought it to was a fitting career, insane woman that she was." Regulus' voice contained no bitterness. It was neutral; like the past didn't bother him that much anymore.

"What about Sirius? Was he mad at you?"

"Sirius' reaction was different. The day I showed him my dark mark, he was shocked. He was more hurt than angry. He hadn't expected me to join the Death Eaters. He knew that it was our mother's idea but it was too late to do anything. I left Hogwarts after that."

"Within two years, I couldn't take it anymore and so I quit. Most Death Eaters thought I was dead. I kept a low profile for the next decade. Then, last year, when I found out about Sirius, I wanted to come back."

"Were you afraid that Sirius wouldn't forgive you?" Draco had no idea how he was brave enough to ask these questions but he trusted Regulus. "I was bloody terrified of that, mate. But he did forgive me. He was mad, yes, and he made that clear in no uncertain terms. But in the end, he forgave me."

Talk about family dynamics. "Wow." That was all Draco could say.

"Wow is correct, kiddo." Draco didn't ask anymore questions.

"So, are you done with your packing?" Regulus asked, tactfully switching topics. "Most of it."

Draco needed some advice and he wanted it badly. While he'd acted like it was no big deal, Draco was terrified of going back. By now, everyone knew about his father's imprisonment.

He didn't even want to think about what they were going to say. There was this part of him that didn't want to return to Hogwarts. Most of the Gryffindors would seize the opportunity to bully him. He could already imagine the taunts that would be hurled at him when he boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"Can I ask you something?" Draco asked, hoping that his voice didn't sound weak. Regulus looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "If this is about the birds and the be—"

" _What_? No!" Draco hoped he wasn't as red as a tomato. "That's not even close, Regulus. It's something else." Regulus smirked at him and sat back in his chair. "Okay then, shoot."

"School starts in a few days. I don't... I don't want to go back. It's going to be bloody horrible! Everyone's going to talk . I don't think I can stand that." He sounded frustrated, angry and afraid. For the last two years, his father's name had served him well. No one had dared to bully him or say anything at all.

Regulus watched the various emotions flit across the boy's face: anger, anxiety, annoyance and fear. He didn't really know what to say. While he was at Hogwarts, no one had the guts to say anything to him. He was the son of Orion Black after all. Once his father had died, he'd left the school. He'd worried about serving Voldemort that year.

And more importantly— advice, reassurance, comfort: all that was Sirius' forte. But the boy had trusted him and come to him. He wasn't going to turn him away without any help.

"Listen to me, kiddo. I can't promise you that things won't be tough. People will talk because that's what people do. You can't change them. What you can do is not let them get to you, because that's what they want. It's hard but you have to get past it." He reached out and grasped the boy's hands in his own. "You're not alone, okay? Me, your mum, Harry, Sirius—we're all right here."

"Besides, you're strong, mate. You'll be alright. I just know it."

* * *

Harry dragged himself out of the water and glared at Sirius. "That is so _not_ fair. Magic is not allowed, Dad! I thought we agreed on not shoving each other into the water." He was dripping from head to toe. "We did? I just can't seem to remember agreeing to something so absurd. Are you sure you're okay?"

It was a miracle that Sirius managed to say all this with a straight face. It was the second time he'd caught the boy off guard and pushed him into the pool. Harry was no longer afraid of the water. Any unpleasant childhood memories had been completely replaced by newer, happier ones.

Sirius approached his pup and ran his hand through the boy's hair, wandlessly drying him off. "Better?" His son—never the sort to stay upset very long— grinned at him impishly. Then, quick as a flash, he pushed Sirius into the water. "I am now."

Sirius was too shocked for a minute. Then, he burst out laughing. Harry Potter, his innocent little troublemaker. "You cheeky rascal!" He stepped out and dried himself with a wave.

A year ago, Harry wouldn't have dared to do anything remotely close to this. This just showed how much the boy had grown to trust Sirius. "You know, I'll get my revenge, kiddo. Just you wait."

"I want to go to Florean's," Harry insisted. While Sirius wouldn't have allowed only ice cream for lunch, that day was a special occasion.

Half an hour later, Sirius wheeled his motorcycle into the shade and they went inside the ice cream parlour.

They were digging into their sundaes when Sirius spotted two people walking hand in hand, on the other side of the street just before they turned into another lane. One of them was Remus, he was sure of it. The unmistakable flash of bubblegum hair verified the other's identity. Nymphadora Tonks. Well, well.

Poor Remus was in for it.

So it seemed little Dora had finally asked her long time crush out. About damn time.

* * *

Remus has no idea what to expect when he'd received a letter from Sirius _and_ another one from Regulus almost immediately. Both letters had been short and annoyingly vague. The common instruction was that he was supposed to come to Black Manor that evening for dinner. He couldn't understand why _Regulus_ felt the need to write to him too.

While he and the younger Black were on better terms now, they weren't particularly _friends_.

Nevertheless, he stepped into his fireplace and flooed over to Sirius' house.

He was greeted by the two brothers who were leisurely lounging on the sofa. Harry was nowhere to be found. "Evening, mate," Sirius began, his mouth curling upward into an easy smile. "You're right on time. We have _much_ to discuss."

Remus looked at the duo suspiciously. They were both grinning widely and he had no clue why. Dinner was pleasant enough. "So, you ready for your new job, Moony?"

"Yeah. I'm actually looking forward to it a lot." Remus didn't add that this was his first stable job in the last decade. "You like the food?" Sirius still had that grin on his face like he knew something and it was driving Remus crazy. He nodded his answer.

"How long have you been going out with my baby cousin?" The werewolf nearly choked on his wine and started coughing. Sirius helpfully banged him on the back, grinning like a madman.

"What? You know?" He finally managed to talk. "Oh don't be so surprised, mate. Did you really think I wouldn't find out? So, how long has this been going on?"

"Well, uh... since about a month before Dumbledore sent me on that mission," he admitted, smiling absently as he recalled that day. "So three months then." He smirked at the poor man.

"Remus and Dora sitting in a tree

K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes lov—"

"See? This is exactly why I didn't tell you," contrary to his words, Remus was struggling to hold back a smile. "Oh come off it, Moony. I knew it all along. Little Dora had a crush on you since the very first time you came with me to Andy's house. She was smitten."

That was true. Remus was sixteen when he'd been to their house the first time. Nymphadora had only been four years old back then. Sirius, James and Remus had all gone. The young girl had first given Sirius a big hug and he'd lifted her up and kissed her cheek. She'd also quickly taken a liking to the rather shy and quiet boy with brown hair and kind amber eyes.

"I'm happy for you, Moony" Sirius continued and Remus sensed the sincerity in his words. "I know you won't do anything to hurt her." Those nine words spoke volumes. They were a sign of absolute faith in his best mate but at the same time, they also promised retribution should he dare try anything.

Now, while Sirius and Dora hasn't seen each other in the last decade due to obvious reasons, it was no secret that Sirius was quite protective of the young woman. They had been quite close as youngsters. Andromeda and her family were under the forest protection of the House of Black.

"You have my word I won't." Sirius relaxed and cracked a small grin. "Well then that's settled. As you probably would have guessed by now, Harry is under strict orders to consistently and unfailingly tease you in my absence. I expect that he will carry out these orders with utmost efficiency."

Remus groaned and threw his head back. "You've corrupted that innocent child, Padfoot."

"And I'm proud of it."

* * *

The first of September arrived far too quickly for anyone's liking. Harry knew quite well that Draco was dreading this day more than anyone else. They were quite early. After last year's incident with the car, Sirius had felt the need to leave earlier for the station than necessary.

"Dad, you could have let me sleep a little more. We're way too early," Harry complained as he pushed his trolley into the wall.

A second later, he found himself on the familiar platform. Sirius and Regulus appeared next. "We're not that early, kiddo. Besides, I need to head straight to work after this."

They weren't the only ones who were before time. Draco and Narcissa were waiting for the scarlet engine as well. The blond boy looked uneasy and nervous. "You look like hell, Draco," Harry greeted cheerfully. He didn't appreciate the smack he received from the other boy for his enthusiasm. "Shut up, Potter," Draco snapped without any harshness in his voice.

"Aww, I love you too, Draco." Harry was in a great mood that morning. Although he was going back to Hogwarts, Sirius had promised to visit every now and then. Besides, he'd be coming back for Christmas.

Nothing could go wrong this year.

Harry slapped Draco on the shoulder encouragingly. "Just don't be a prat and you'll be fine."

He was steered away by Sirius to a side and braced himself for the dad-talk. "I have something for you," the man began and Harry's curiosity piqued. Sirius put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small package. He unwrapped it and pulled out two mirrors.

"These are different from your average mirror, pup. You keep one and I'll hold onto the other. If you need to talk, just say my name and I'll appear in the mirror." Eyes wide with awe, Harry took the mirror from his Dad and turned it in his hands. "That's bloody brilliant," he whispered.

"I know. James and I used it for pranking. Now, if anything comes up, I want you to call me using this okay?" Harry nodded. "I promise."

"Good. Please, for goodness sake, stay out of trouble, Harry. I'm still far too young and handsome for grey hair." The boy smiled impishly. "Really? I think I see one right there." Sirius rolled his eyes and ruffled Harry's hair. "Brat. Also, look out for Draco. He may try and hide it but he's terrified about what everyone will have to say."

"I expect letters, Harry James. You had better write regularly or I swear to Merlin, I'll barge into your dorm and drag you home by your ear," Sirius' eyes were playful as he made the idle threat. "I will, Dad, I promise. And don't worry about Draco. I'll make sure no one bothers him."

"I expect nothing less, pup. Take care of yourself and have fun alright? Eat properly and don't even think of skipping any meals. I've asked Remus to keep an eye on you."

Harry nodded before throwing his arms around the man. Sirius hugged him with equal enthusiasm. "You'll be back before you know it, pup." Harry mumbled something against Sirius's shoulder, tightening his hold on the man. This was honestly was the first time he'd be going father from his home. While Black Manor was his home, it was Sirius who made it so. _Sirius_ was his home.

"I'm going to miss you too, pup. I love you, kiddo. "

"Love you too."

* * *

Regulus looked at the blond boy in front of him and saw a younger version of himself. Draco wouldn't make the same mistakes as him. "I'll let you know when we can continue our lessons. They'll mostly take place over the weekend when you're free. You're going to write to your mum and to me, alright? I'll be expecting a letter at least once a week." The boy looked surprised at the request but he agreed, smiling a bit.

Regulus gave Draco a quick hug, "You'll be alright, mate. Keep your magic under control, alright?" Draco couldn't afford to lose his temper and lash out at the other students. Not glanced toward Narcissa who shot him a grateful smile and felt slightly embarrassed. _When had he fallen into this role?_

He let Draco go and allowed Narcissa to embrace her son. He went to Harry and clapped him on the back.

Finally it was time to leave. Sirius ruffled Harry's hair one last time and pressed a quick kiss to the lad's temple. "Off you go." The adults helped get the kids with their trunks and cages.

The clock struck eleven and the scarlet engine came to life. The train began pulling out of the station. Parents waved goodbye and the children waved back with equal fervour.

Harry Potter stuck his face to the window and waved enthusiastically at the only home he'd ever known.

* * *

Sirius was in a great mood when he stepped into the Auror department, Regulus in tow. A great mood that didn't last long.

All the aurors has gathered together and seemed to be discussing something very seriously. Serious instantly knew something was very wrong. "What's going on here?" He demanded.

All the Aurors turned at the sound of his voice. None of them said anything first. He quirked an eyebrow at the men and women. "Well?"

Kingsley was brave enough to step forward. "Sir," he began, sounding worryingly grave. "A situation came to our notice this morning. We don't how it happened but we're trying to find out."

Sirius said nothing. An pleasant knot formed in his stomach. Something was terribly wrong.

"Last night, a prisoner escaped from Azkaban."

* * *

 **Who's the prisoner?**

 **How did this happen?**

 **There's your update, dear readers. I'm so very sorry about the long wait but I've been impossibly busy. Let me know how you liked the chapter. The next update might take a while since my exams are going on right now. Don't hesitate to review.**

 **The details regarding the prisoner will all be revealed in due course. I have plans for both Harry and Draco this year. Keep reading to find out more. I just couldn't let our dear Harry have a boring year, could I?**

 **I also posted another story called 'Scars'. It takes place during fifth year when Sirius finds out about Umbridge's detentions. Take a look.**

 **(Not) Sorry about the cliffhanger folks!**


	43. Chapter 42: Term Begins

"I'm going to go and find Blaise," Draco mumbled once the train had picked up speed. Harry rolled his eyes at the other boy. "Honestly Draco, just because were going back to Hogwarts, doesn't mean things need to go back to the way they were. We don't need to keep hating each other. Stop being such a prat and help me find an empty compartment."

"You find the compartment, I'll find Blaise and meet you. I can't leave Blaise to fend for himself when Parkinson comes knocking. Don't worry, Potter. I won't leave you alone. We'll hold hands along the way, okay?" Draco teased but his eyes were grateful. He ducked just in time to avoid Harry's shove before walking away.

Harry didn't find an empty compartment but he did find Hermione sitting in one of them. She was the only occupant. "Where's Ron?" Harry asked as he sat down. "Ron and the twins hid Percy's head boy badge and now they are hiding from Percy."

Ten minutes later, Draco found Harry's compartment and slid inside with another boy in tow. "Granger," Draco nodded at Hermione before gesturing towards the other boy. "Potter, Granger— Blaise Zabini." The new boy seemed far more cheerful than Draco and surprisingly friendly for a Slytherin. He smiled at the duo and waved cheerily. They'd all get along just fine.

"So tell me, Granger, have you already learnt all the textbooks by heart?" Draco smirked at Hermione, completely ignoring her glare. "Of course not! I've merely gone through them and gotten a gist of this year's curriculum."

"Of course, how foolish of me. Do forgive me, milady." Harry observed their exchange with a fond smile. Truth be told, he was surprised by how well the two of them got along now. One could forget that they had spent the last two years despising each other. He only hoped Ron and Draco would eventually get along.

"Where's your luggage?" Harry asked. Neither Draco nor Blaise had brought their trunks with them. Draco shrugged carelessly. "Crabbe and Goyle will see to the heavy lifting. It's the one thing those two oafs are good at." Hermione glared at him disapprovingly but didn't say anything.

"Harry, did Sirius tell you anything about the new professor?" Harry struggled to hide his smile at Hermione's question. He'd known that his father knew the identity of the new professor After a lot of begging, he'd finally managed to get Sirius to reveal the name of the new DADA teacher. "Not a clue."

Their compartment door was suddenly thrown open and Percy Weasley stepped inside, his face as red as his hair. "Where are they? Those good-for-nothing buffoons! I swear I'll skin each one of them alive!"

"I need my head boy badge! I told Penelope that I'd meet her and now I'm getting la—"

"There not here, Weasley. If we do see them, we'll be sure to send them your way," Draco drawled sarcastically. Fortunately, the red head didn't notice the sarcasm and merely nodded before walking away.

About an hour later, Ron poked his head into their compartment, along with the twins. When there was no sign of his enraged older brother, the three of them slid inside. Ron scowled when he noticed Draco but didn't say anything about it.

"Wonder what's in store for us this year," Hermione mused. "I think it's going to be one very boring, uneventful year."

 _Oh Harry._

* * *

"So, Auror Black, you're telling me that Bellatrix Lestrange escaped from Azkaban last night? That she successfully got past the dementors, a dozen aurors without either of them noticing a single thing?" Sirius resisted the urge to sock the minister in the face.

He must have answered this question at least thrice. "Yes, Fudge. That's exactly what I'm telling you." He shared a brief glance with Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE. She was also getting equally frustrated by the minister's idiocy. It seemed as though the two of them were the only sensible ones in the room.

"How did this happen? How is it that one woman managed to get past all those defences without alerting anyone?"

"That's exactly what I was trying to find out before you urgently called me in. How am I supposed to do my job if you don't let me work in peace? If you will just stop panicking and allow me to get back to work, I'll deliver the answers to you on a silver platter."

He didn't have time to sit around, arguing with the members of the Wizengamot now.

Fudge wasn't smart enough to catch the sarcasm in Sirius' words. "Very well."

"Now, Fudge, I don't think I need to ask this of you but it would be best if we kept quiet regarding this matter," Bones advised. "The moment the public comes to know about this, they'll panic."

Fudge coughed nervously at that. "Uh... Amelia, I'm afraid it's a little too late for that. I already told me secretary to notify the Prophet regarding Lestrange's escape."

Great. Just great. The day just kept getting better and better.

He could imagine the news splashed across the front page. He'd have to talk to Narcissa about this.

How could she have escaped? While Sirius had been in Azkaban, his cell had been near Bella's. As far as he could remember, she'd shown no inclination to escape. In fact, whenever he'd seen her, she had always been mumbling to herself or licking the bars of her cell.

Why would she keep quiet all these years, only to suddenly escape one fine day? Something was going on here and he needed to get to the bottom of this as fast as possible.

"Auror Black, are you certain that you don't know anything about Lestrange's flight? After all, blood is thicker than water." The words were followed be a small, dry cough. Sirius stiffened at the implication and turned to glare at the offender. "Excuse me?"

The person in question was an ugly, middle-aged toad faced woman. She was dressed in pink robes and a horrendous pink cardigan on top. Dolores Umbridge, the minister's secretary.

"You will do well to remember your place, Dolores. Such accusations can cost you dearly." This came from Amelia who looked almost as offended as Sirius.

The old toad smiled at Sirius. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Auror Black. It was a mere observation."

"Then I'm afraid to say that you're observational skills are off." Sirius' tone was deadly and everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Sirius mentally counted to ten, trying to rein his temper. "Look, none of us know how she escaped, alright? That's what we're all trying to understand. So, until then, I suggest that you all let me do my job while you attend to yours. Good day."

Sirius left the conference room without any further greeting and no one stopped him. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why she'd chosen to escape now. _Why? After all this time?_

Sirius didn't know where to begin. There were just so many questions. Why? How? Had someone helped? Was there a traitor in the department? He needed answers and he needed them fast. Now that the minister and his toad-faced secretary had gone and blabbed the Prophet, the news would be out in the open tomorrow. The public was going to panic big time.

No one said the job was going to be easy.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Blaise, Draco and Hermione got off the train and into a carriage. Fred and George had gone off to find their friend Lee Jordan.

"Angelina told me that Professor Mcgonagall conducts a surprise test any time in the first week back. So, word of advice, boys, be prepared."

While Harry and Draco rolled their eyes, the Italian inclined his head at Hermione. "Yes, ma'am." Ron mumbled something unintelligible through a mouthful of chocolate.

When the carriages arrived at Hogwarts, the five of them walked together before parting to sit at their respective tables. So far, no one had said anything to Draco and that's how Harry wanted it to stay. The blond had changed for the better in the past month.

Once all the students were settled, Dumbledore stood to make his customary welcome-back speech. "It gives me great pleasure to see all of you back here, after a break. First years, I welcome you to Hogwarts and as for the rest of you, welcome back. I am certain that most of you must have emptied your brains during the summer and now, it's time to refill them."

It was almost the same speech every year. "I am also immensely happy to welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Please put your hands together and join me in welcoming Professor Remus Lupin."

All students clapped politely while Harry gave his friends a ear-splitting grin. "So you did know about the new Professor!" Hermione smacked his arm good-naturedly. "Ow! I couldn't ruin the surprise, could I?"

When the food appeared on the table, Ron was the first one to pile on drumsticks, gravy, beans and everything else within arms reach. When Hermione gave him a disgusted look, he merely shrugged. "I'm a growing boy, Mione."

After dinner, the students were directed back to their respective common rooms by the prefects. Percy had finally gotten his head boy badge back from the twins but it now read 'big-head boy' and needless to say, the bespectacled Weasley was furious at his younger brothers.

"I'm going to go and meet Remus," Harry said. He had a certain job to do, something Sirius had ordered him to do.

He made his way to the Defence quarters and found himself in front of the portrait. "Password?"

"You know me! I came here all the time. You can let me in you know." The portrait of Vindictus grumbled. "Just this one time, boy. You had better know the password the next time."

Harry found Remus and his dad inside. He was pleasantly surprised to see Sirius. The two men were talking about something that was obviously serious. They noticed him and Sirius smiled at him but Harry knew the man well enough to be able to tell that the smile was strained.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"Just something at work." Harry got the feeling there was more to it but he knew that Sirius wasn't going to say anything more. "Well don't worry about it," he said, moving to sit on the arm of Sirius' chair. "I know you'll find a way to deal with whatever is wrong."

The man reached up and ruffled his hair. "I hope you're right, kiddo." He then stood up. "I'll be leaving now. You make sure to do what I've told you and eat properly." He lightly tweaked Harry's nose, much to the boy's chagrin. "Goodnight, pup."

"Night, Dad."

Once Sirius left, Harry turned to Remus. "I'm guessing that you won't tell me either? The new professor smiled at him apologetically. "You'll find out on your own tomorrow."

"Great, that completely satisfies my curiosity."

* * *

 ** _Bellatrix Lestrange escapes Azkaban!_**

 _Only two nights ago, infamous death eater and You Know Who's most loyal follower escaped the_ **secure** _prison of Azkaban_! _The_ _aurors are as baffled as the rest of us._

 _How did this prisoner escape the clutches of the dementors and the aurors?_

 _Lestrange is known for her ruthlessness and cruelty that seems to rival that of the late Orion Black himself. Lestrange, along with three others was convicted eleven years ago for using the Cruciatus Curse on Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom._

 _With the deaths of nearly two hundred people, wizards and muggles alike, this woman has escaped! The world isn't safe anymore. She could be anywhere, disguised as anyone. No one can be trusted anymore._

 _The Aurors are yet to give us a proper report of Lestange's escape. Head of the Auror Department, Sirius Black, has yet to give a public statement regarding this disaster that has occurred._

 _We hope to see Lestrange back in her rightful place in Azkaban as soon as possible._

So this is what is dad was worried about.

Harry put the paper down and looked over at Neville who had turned pale. He never knew about Neville's parents, no one did. Sirius had never mentioned it but Harry was sure that the man had known the other boy's parents.

The other person who looked equally bad was Draco. He tried to get the blond's attention but Draco didn't look up at him. What had gotten Draco so worried? He didn't know much about this Lestrange person other than the fact that she was Sirius' deranged cousin.

Professor Mcgonagall went around handing out timetables to the students and as usual, the Gryffindors and Slytherins had all their lessons together.

Unlike other years, this time, Harry was glad.

All students were talking only about Lestrange's escape and nothing else. The Great Hall was filled with hushed whispers and tension.

"All students will calm down!" Dumbledore stood up to address the hall. "No matter what happens, you are all safe here at Hogwarts, that I can promise. Students, there is no need to worry. No harm shall come to you whilst you are within these walls."

While his words weren't that reassuring, the whispers ceased as the students began to file out of the Great Hall and to their respective lessons.

The first subject for the third years was Transfiguration. Harry caught up with Draco and Blaise on the way. Crabbe and Goyle were no where in sight and Harry was thankful.

"You alright? You look horrible." Blaise nodded in agreement and nudged the blond's shoulder. "See? I told you that you look like the back end of a toad."

"Shut up, both of you. I'm fine." But he wasn't.

If the other students noticed Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy walked together and not trying to tear each other's heads off, they didn't say anything. They were all too worried about something more important.

Transfiguration was alright. Mcgonagall collected their homework and the Hogsmeade permission slips.

Potions as usual was less than pleasant but nothing too unbearable. Snape went around the class, criticising everyone's potions but that day, he left Neville alone.

* * *

Draco was one step away from being miserable. His mad aunt had somehow managed to escape from Azkaban and he didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much but it did.

That blasted woman didn't even know him. He'd only recently found out the truth about his mother's sister and was more than a little disconcerted.

He tossed in his head bed and forced himself to fall asleep. Quidditch trials took place the next day and he had to make the team. He hadn't forgotten Regulus' words.

The next day, Draco pushed through the lessons, trying to forget that his deranged aunt was out there somewhere.

After lessons, he went down to the pitch with his broom, for the Quidditch tryouts. Harry had nearly threatened him that if he didn't make the team, he would have to do the other boy's Potions homework for the rest of the year.

Other than a few new faces, the usual people people were there: Pucey, Warrington, Derrick, Bole, Bletchley and of course the captain: Marcus Flint.

"Malfoy," the captain sauntered over to him and raised his eyebrows in greeting. "Flint."

"I heard about your father." _And so it begins_. Draco inwardly groaned but made sure that his face betrayed nothing. "I just wanted to say that I give a rat's arse. If you're willing to work your arse off and make sure Slytherin wins, then we're good. Besides, you did let us keep the brooms."

So maybe he hadn't given Flint enough credit. The bloke was obsessed with Quidditch, nearly as much as that crazy Gryffindor captain. Of course he cared about nothing else. "Then I guess we don't have a problem."

"Brilliant. Mount up."

The tryouts were bloody fantastic.

That was the only description he had for it. He might not be as great as Harry but Draco was _good_. He didn't know where this newfound vigour and determination was coming fromsure as hell was better than Ryan, D'Cruz and half a dozen of the others who had come to try out for the Seeker's spot.

This time, the Seeker's spot was his. Truly his. No one had bribed the team with the latest broom in the market. He had _earned_ it.

"Congratulations, mate." Flint slapped him on the back before turning to address the rest of the team. "Listen up! We play our first game of the year against Gryffindor in three weeks! I'm not losing to them this time. Practice is at seven in the morning on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Don't be late. Dismissed."

As Draco made his way back to the castle, he felt loads better. He had to write back to his mum as well as to Regulus. He knew that the man would be expecting a letter from him. Then, he'd find Potter and give him the good news.

Maybe things wouldn't be all that bad after all.

* * *

Since Harry was at Hogwarts, Sirius worked late. Besides, there was a mad prisoner out there. He needed to find her as soon as possible. Many knew what Bella was capable of but Sirius knew better than most.

She was vicious, heartless, cold-blooded and now that she'd spent a decade in Azkaban, those qualities would have only been intensified. While her father Cygnus Black was more humane than his brother Orion, Bellatrix had trained under Orion's cruelty and malice. She was what one would call; his number one student. She was his favourite.

Sirius remembered the things that she'd _taught_ him when he had been a child.

He was snapped out of his unpleasant train of thought when the door to his office was thrown open. It was obviously Regulus. None of the other Aurors would dare to try something like that.

"Draco made the team!" His brother all but yelled the words, thrusting a parchment nearly in Sirius' face. He took the proffered letter and held it at little distance away so that he may actually read it.

"That's great, Reg." He looked at his brother who was almost bouncing excitedly. "I knew that the kid could do it!" Sirius was pretty sure that his little brother was happier than Draco himself. Those two had grown quite close during the summer.

"So I suppose you'll have to make good of your promise now and take him out?"

Regulus nodded resolutely. "Absolutely. I'll write back right now. I'm going to go home now. Are you coming or will you take longer?"

Sirius shook his head. "I'll come home in an hour or so. You go on ahead, Reg."

Sirius watched his brother leave before getting up to go and get some coffee. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **And that's Chapter 42. Bella is not far off. She's coming for the boys and it's going to be intense. Read and review this chapter right here while I go and work on the next one, guys!**

 **Also, check out my other story 'Scars' which I recently wrote.**


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